Hurricane Irma made landfall on the Camaguey Archipelago of Cuba Friday evening, close to Playa Santa Lucia. This was the first Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in Cuba since 1924.
The center of Irma has continued moving northwest along the northern coast of Cuba through early Saturday afternoon.
"Given this track and the strength of Irma, part of Cuba’s northern coast has likely sustained catastrophic damage. Farther inland across Cuba, away from the coast, rainbands from Irma have caused flooding," AccuWeather Meteorologist Jordan Root said.
A wind gust to 159 mph (256 km/h) was reported at a weather station in Ciego de Avila, Cuba, early Sunday.
"Turks and Caicos experienced some of the worst conditions from Irma Thursday night into Friday since the eye passed so close to the south," Root said.
Extreme winds in excess of 150 mph battered the islands. The strong winds also drove a very high and dangerous storm surge into the islands.
As of 7 p.m. EDT Friday, at least 20 fatalities have been blamed on Irma, with fears that the number could climb as communications improve in the Turks and Caicos and Cuba.
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