Forecasters watching Category 4 Hurricane Irma continue to project a landfall in southern Florida and the powerful storm continuing northwest into Georgia.
The 11 a.m. advisory shows the path headed west-northwest skirting Cuba and turning sharply northward toward the Florida Keys with a landfall around 8 a.m. Sunday.
Some fluctuation is likely but Irma is expected to remain a Category 4 hurricane at landfall with sustained winds of at least 130 mph.
A dangerous storm surge of up to 10 ft. will flood the coast with the actual severity dependent on tides.
Projections show Irma remaining a hurricane through the Sunshine State, but weakening to tropical storm status when the center is over Georgia sometime Monday.
The National Weather Service in Peachtree City is not ruling out the possibility of tornadoes primarily on the eastern edge of the storm as it moves through the Peach State.
Unlike Harvey, this quick-moving system is only expected to drop 2-5” of rain in Middle Georgia and communities to the north.
Higher amounts are expected on the eastern edge of the center of circulation, but the system is likely to be downgraded to a tropical depression around 8 a.m. Tuesday before leaving Georgia.
Some localized flooding may occur considering high soil moisture in some regions, but prolonged periods of strong winds could be the major threat in Georgia.
Tropical storm force winds between 39-73 mph are expected to reach south Georgia by 8 p.m. Sunday night.
Liz Fabian: 478-744-4303, @liz_lines