must. >> thinking of their families in florida, for sure. thank you for joining us. i'm poppy harlow. john, you will be there all weekend moving away from the evacuation zone. >> that's right. we will be in places to stay safe. two pictures to remember, the cone over the entire state, it will hit florida, maybe all of it. number two, the road still clear. ed lavandera still on clear roads, plenty of time to evacuate. i'm john berman in miami beach. at this hour with kate bolduan starts now. thank you both so much. hello, i am kate bolduan. hurricane irma closes in and millions of floridians brace for impact and race to get out. the chilling warning from the state's governor today. everyone in florida, the entire state, needs to be prepared to evacuate. here is why. that huge swirling cloud of power. that is irma. it is one of the most dangerous

storms on record and so big it is going to swallow the state from coast-to-coast. now, consider this, it dwarfs what was previously the state's worst storm. hurricane andrew hit in '92. right now, irma is hitting cuba. this is what happened to the r turks and caicos. we have the direct hit that came to barbuda where every building has been damaged or destroyed. that's what the prime minister said. widespread damage. one woman describes the terrifying experience they lived through. >> the winds, i can't begin to tell you the zinging. that sound. it was just all encompassing. it really became, at one point, a question of whether we would live to see through it.

that's literally how it felt. >> my goodness. that's there. now, in florida, ahead of this weekend's land fall evacuation orders growing by the hour. millions are hitting the road as the fuel shortage grips the state. officials in south florida, especially the keys, if you decide to stay, soon, they won't be able to help you. >> you might as well leave now, while you have a chance because when you dial 911, you will not get an answer. >> we have breaking news on this storm, on the storm's track. a new forecast from the national hurricane center. let's go to cnn's meteorologist, chad myers. chad, what do you know right now? >> it is still a category 4. it turned to a 4 overnight because we are in an eyewall replacement cycle. the eye is ragged there. there is an eyewall on the outside and one on the inside. the eyewall on the inside kills the one and takes over and gets

smaller and the storm regenerates power, sometimes stronger than before. there is the big eyewall. as it gets tighter, it will gain wind speed. wind speed is not important. this is a surge problem. this is a surge of 10-12 feet that will inundate houses through the keys and key biscayne, that is all very low. cape coral, naples, venice, inundated with six to ten feet. it hasn't changed much. we have an 8:00 a.m. arrival close to the florida keys. i would say almost to key largo, right in the middle, we are watching the european versus the american model yesterday to look for any differences. there were many differences yesterday. the american model is over here in the atlantic. now the red line, the american model is no longer in the atlantic. there aren't anymore places for this to go. they are now side by side, the

european and american completely agreeing up through orlando and up into georgia by the time it gets to atlanta. so many people came here to escape the storm. there could be wind 70-75 miles per hour. let me get you to a couple maps. here is florida and the keys. here is cuba. the storm right about here. i'm going to zoom into the keys. this is where the european model is taking the center of the eye. this is marathon. this is key colony beach. this is -- up here, the keys. this, to the north is where the american model is taking it. worldwide sportsmen is there. the islander resort is right there. where does it go next? it goes to the everglades. you think, great, it's going to hit land. no. there's no land in the everglades. it's more hot wotater to keep t storm going.

it will hit naples, ft. myers and eventually to orlando. it still could be a category 2 storm when it makes land fall or runs over orlando. cat 2, 110 miles per hour or so, possible, with wind gusts there. orlando, you are not in the clear because you are in the center of the state and it goes north from here. kate? >> getting a better picture and making more sense why fema administrator said everyone from alabama to north carolina needs a preparation plan. so, you talked about it being a cat 4. irma was a cat 5, became a cat 4 overnight. what does that mean for folks facing the storm? >> the irony is, kate, the category is only associated with the little eyewall right there. that's where the category comes from because that's where the wind speed is the greatest. the pressure of this storm is significantly lower than harvey.

this inner core is such a big breathing mass that we are going to have more surge than harvey, maybe more rain. we are going to spread it out because it's moving. we don't care about the eyewall. that's how andrew got to be such a notorious storm. andrew had a small eye and ran through homestead. that's why we didn't see much wind damage in ft. lauderdale from andrew. it was tremendous over homestead, near the air force base and coral gables. ten, 20 miles was significantly less. what we have on the storm is not to lose the impression of where the storm is at 150 because it's still a breathing monster that will have a bubble of water that will have a storm surge and wind damage all at one time. it is so, when we show the picture of andrew, it is so much more powerful than andrew, not just bigger.

>> i don't mean want to experie 150 like i don't want to 185. there's no difference. let's head, right now, to palm beach county, florida where evacuations are in effect and shelters opening in the last hour. brian todd is there. what are you seeing there? >> reporter: kate, as we go through the final hours until the hurricane hits, these are anxious moments. you mentioned the mandatory evacuation order that started one hour ago. that is for palm beach. the area to my left, your right, david brooks is panning over there. that's palm beach. that is the barrier island. that mandatory evacuation applies to palm beach with low lying areas and mobile homes. they are trying to get people across the bridges to west palm beach, which is behind me. they have to get people across the water and over here to west palm beach. it's a challenge because a lot of people want to stay hunkered

down. some think they can ride it out. authorities say that's a big mistake, get off that island. they expect five to ten feet of storm surge. what does that mean? the water level is five feet below where i'm standing. it's going to come up at least to where i'm standing maybe above it. the barrier island is going to be worse. they are telling people that they cannot procrastinate. i spoke to bill johnson, the head of emergency management here. he is worried about procrastination. he does not want people caught on the road saturday and sunday when it hits and going to feel the brunt of the storm. another huge challenge, here in palm beach county, not just getting people off the barrier islands and inland, but getting the elderly to safe places. there is one special needs shelter opening in palm beach county, in west palm. they may open another one if they need it.

they are trying to get as many elderly people in there as posz zable. a lot want to hunker down. they have caregivers and don't want to move. i spoke to the head of an alzheimers care place. the owner said he is going to evacuate them from one facility to another, not a shelter, yet. he didn't know the details. i said what is the biggest challenge, he said they are alzheimers patients, they ask a lot of questions we have to calm them down. that's a huge challenge. high concentration of elderly people here in palm beach county. they have to get them in a safe place. they have been doing that for days, by the way. again, in the last, final hours, that's critical. >> knowing where to take them and knowing it is safe, it will be open and can accommodate their needs. that is a huge deal and an important part of this. brian, i really appreciate it.

thank you very much. brian, you are going to stay in touch. brian todd is there for us. let's talk to the mayor of west palm beach. mayor, thank you so much for joining us. what are you telling residents right now? >> well, we are telling them that if they are in an evacuation zone, they need to evacuate. it's not safe to stay there. it is important that they move out. we have evacuation zone along flagler drive where your reporter was standing. that area will probably see storm surge. >> are people, as far as you can tell, as far as you are hearing, are they heeding warnings in west palm or are people wanting to stick it out? >> both. we see a lot of people have left. roads were very crowded all day yesterday. they seem a little less so today. so, i think the people who are leaving have left. but there will always be a few

people who will want to stay in their homes. >> do you expect, at this point, mandatory evacuation zones will expand today? >> we are not projecting that. we have looked at our flood maps and it appears the areas on the flood maps that would flood coincide with the evacuation zone. so, i don't expect it. we have zone "c" as a voluntary evacuation, so people can decide to leave or not. "a" and "b" is mandatory evacuation. >> what are you most worried about right now? >> i'm worried about the wind. you know, we are talking about very high gusts and the kind of damage it is going to do. i worry about everybody's safety. i want to make sure people are staying in their homes they have their windows plywood or

shutters up and food they need. they find a safe place in their home that would be protected from the wind if they are staying. wind is going to be very strong. >> at what point are you telling folks it's going to be too late to get out? >> well, we are telling people that they should be off the roads tomorrow. hopefully if they are leaving tomorrow they will do it early in the morning and get out. we are going to start seeing heavy winds and, of course, later. so, people need to get out now, if they are going to get out. >> the governor has been quite concerned about fuel, getting fuel to places, including i'm sure west palm. how big of a problem is it, the gas shortage in west palm if they want to fill up and get out? >> there is gas now.

most of the gas stations do have gas. we received our own delivery this morning without any problem. right now, it seems to be okay. >> right now, okay. things are going to change and deteriorate quickly as the hours tick by. mayor, i appreciate you coming on. i hope everyone heeds your warning. thank you very much. >> thank you for having us. >> appreciate it. millions of people are evacuating as z i was talking with the mayor, trying to get out of the way of the storm. we are going to show you what they are encountering on the road. also, a big danger in florida, the mayor is worried about the wind. they are also concerned about the storm surge. they are calling it a deadly storm surge. we are going to look at the forecast and what that means. that's coming up. prestige creams not living up to the hype? olay regenersit shatters the competition big hype. big price. big deal. olay regenerist hydrates skin

better than creams costing over $100, $200 and even $400. for skin that looks younger than it should. fact check this ad in good housekeeping. olay regenerist. ageless. now, boost your regimen with olay regenerist concentrate. we just got to take it one game at a time. next question. odell! can you repeat everything you just said? my livestream won't load. (blows whistle) technical foul! wrong sport. wrong network. see, you need unlimited on verizon. it's america's largest, most reliable 4g lte network. it won't let you down in places like this. even in the strike zone! it's the red zone. pretty sure it's the strike zone. here, use mine. all right. see you on the court, champ. heads up! (vo) when it really, really matters, you need the best network and the best unlimited. now plans start at $40 per line for four lines. won't replace the full value of your totaled new car. the guy says you picked the wrong insurance plan. no, i picked the wrong insurance company.

with liberty mutual new car replacement™, you won't have to worry about replacing your car because you'll get the full value back including depreciation. switch and you could save $782 on home and auto insurance. call for a free quote today. liberty stands with you™. liberty mutual insurance. ["l♪vwho can turn the worldan jeton with her smile?s♪ ♪ who can take a nothing day, ♪ ♪ and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile? ♪ ♪ well it's you girl, and you should know it. ♪ with each glance and every little movement you show it. ♪ you're gonna make it after all. ♪ it takes a long time to get to the top... you're gonna make it after all. ♪ but with america's best you're gonna make it after all. ♪ bumper-to-bumper limited you're gonna make it after all. ♪ warranty, the all-new volkswagen tiguan will be there every step ♪ ow! ♪ of the way. getting heartburn doesn't mean i means i take rolaids®. rolaids® goes to work instantly neutralizing 44% more acid than tums® for fast, powerful relief

of your worst heartburn. i trust my rolaids®. r-o-l-a-i-d-s spells relief. [radi♪ alarm] julie is living with metastatic breast cancer, which is breast cancer that has spread to other parts of her body. she's also taking prescription ibrance with an aromatase inhibitor, which is for postmenopausal women with hormone receptor- positive her2- metastatic breast cancer as the first hormonal based therapy. ♪ ibrance plus letrozole was significantly more effective at delaying disease progression versus letrozole. and ibrance plus letrozole shrunk tumors in over half of these patients. patients taking ibrance can develop low white blood cell counts, which may cause serious infections that can lead to death. before taking ibrance,

tell your doctor if you have fever, chills, or other signs of infection liver or kidney problems, are pregnant, breastfeeding, or plan to become pregnant. common side effects include low red blood cell and low platelet counts... ...infections, tiredness, nausea, sore mouth, abnormalities in liver blood tests, diarrhea, hair thinning or loss, vomiting, rash, and loss of appetite. julie calls it her "new" normal. because a lot has changed, but a lot hasn't. ask your doctor about ibrance, the number-one-prescribed, fda-approved oral combination treatment for hr+/her2- mbc. does your sleep aid leave you groggy? switch to drug-free midnite®. its specially formulated to work with the body's sleep mechanism to promote natural sleep. try midnite® tonight. i can guarantee you, i don't know anybody in florida that

experienced this. >> they need to get out? >> they need to get out and heed the warnings. >> that is the fema administrator, brock long issuing the latest warning to folks in florida right now. heed the warning, get out. this, as hurricane irma takes aim at the state. officials and some residents fear last minute evacuees won't get out in time. >> today is going to be the deadline. >> today is the deadline? >> people are going to get caught in the turnpikes and roads. they are going to do the last minute panic to get out. it is going to be too late. >> one of the cities most under threat is miami beach. john berman is there right now. you got on the ground yesterday and have been talking to folks. what is your sense? are they taking this seriously? >> many are taking it seriously, maybe even most, but not everyone. miami beach alone is a city of 100,000 people.

mandatory evacuations for the city, the strip where i'm standing right now. the reason is, just about three feet above sea level. they are expecting a storm surge of ten feet, which means you can expect the water to come up over the area where i'm standing into the buildings behind me. mayor philip levine from miami beach said it could be covered with sand after the storm. that is why they are urging, begging people to get out of the low lying area. it's not the wind that's the primary concern, it's the storm surge. people have left. this is not the miami beach you are used to if you have come down for the sun and sand. this place is a ghost town. however, it's a ghost town with a few people out jogging. it's a ghost town with plenty of homeless people being taken care of. the parks and recreation people have been going to them person-to-person to help them get where they need to go.

we saw an evacuation bus pull out and they did get inland. a little bit inland, you can be safe. it's a much different situation, which is mi all officials are begging people to pay attention. >> it's confounding. you spoke to the mayor last hour. he called this a nuclear hurricane. i mean, if that's what he's warning and you hear from the governor to the fema administrator, if you are in a flood zone, you need to get out, why would anyone stay there? >> well, i did speak to a man, scott abraham with his 4-year-old son who said he was going to stay in his high-rise. he lives on the 11th floor. he feels like the windows won't break, they are hurricane proof. the problem is the island will flood. there is a storm surge. he will be cut off for days from the mainland. does he have enough supplies to last days. is he okay walking up and down

11 flights of stairs? he won't have plumbing. the responders won't be able to help you. if you call 911, no one will answer. right after, everything is going to be prioritized. it would take time to get you help. this is different than hurricane andrew. this is different than hurricane wilma. no one has seen a storm like this, which is what we have heard from the fema director, the governor and every official speaking. hopefully most people are getting the message. >> this is one of the situations that everyone, yes, you can hope the officials are wrong and hope it is not as bad as it is. it's one of those things that if 911 is not going to pick up, you can't take the chance. again, beautiful behind you. i see people moving around. i'm sure it's less than would be on miami beach right now. >> look, it's nice today. by tomorrow at this time, 12:00, 2:00, we could see

50-mile-an-hour wind gusts. the point chad is making is the storm is so big, even if it's not a direct hit, the entire area from orlando down is going to get category 3, 4 winds. it will be destructive. it can't miss. >> really, it cannot. you are spot on, as you always are. great to see you, john. where do you go now? you are going to be there all weekend. you are going to weather this out. you are going to be anchoring throughout the weekend. what are you doing? >> i think it's an important point. people are asking, how come you are on miami beach? if it's going to flood, why are you here? we won't be here tomorrow. it will be flooded. we are moving to downtown miami. there are people at cnn who have done this a long time. they know the safe places to go. we will pay attention to authorities. we are here to get the message out so public officials can tell

you where to go and how to do it. >> i'll be with you all weekend. >> thanks, kate. before florida, irma is headed to the bahamas. the hurricane prompted the bahamas to order the biggest evacuation in its history. we are in nassau. how are conditions there right now? it looks okay. but you tell me. >> reporter: look, it looks okay where we are. that's the key part of the sentence, where we are. the bahamas are spread out, 700 plus islands. some parts of the country are going to get it worse than others. the southern most parts of the islands are going to get it worse. the hurricane force winds started there last night into this morning. we saw the pictures. they are tremendous. the good thing, though, we are able to get an assessment on

what that was like. there is no known loss of life. we are waiting on the structural damage report, find out whether buildings went down or not. hopefully that wasn't the case. i should point out, the bahamas experience this regularly. they are experienced. many buildings are built to hurricane code. where we are, the largest population center in nassau, the capitol, another piece of good news, we are not going to get hurricane force winds here. we are going to get tropical storm force winds. there's still a danger that there might be flooding, but we are not going get the worse winds. the worse fear people had yesterday is not going to come to pass. if you look behind me, those buildings i'm not worried about. they are built up to hurricane code. it's brick, cement, mortar, they are not going to fall down. the roofs, maybe shingles. structurally, they are okay.

the concern is buildings not built up to code, the poorer part of the capital and the flooding. people are hunkering down. they brought food, water and bulk, they are staying home or going to relatives places in low lying areas that are sus speptable to flooding. >> cyril thank you very much. today is the day to do the right thing for your family. that is the warning from florida's governor. he says everyone in the state needs to be ready to evacuate. what irma could have in store for florida. that's ahead. t's dance grandma! you don't let anything keep you sidelined. come on! that's why you drink ensure. with 9 grams of protein, and 26 vitamins and minerals... for the strength and energy, to get back to doing what you love. ensure, always be you.

there's nothing more important than your health. so if you're on medicare or will be soon, you may want more than parts a and b here's why. medicare only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. you might want to consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like any medicare supplement insurance plan, these help pick up some of what medicare doesn't pay. and, these plans let you choose any doctor

or hospital that accepts medicare patients. you could stay with the doctor or specialist you trust... or go with someone new. you're not stuck in a network... because there aren't any. so don't wait. call now to request your free decision guide and find the aarp medicare supplement plan that works for you. there's a range to choose from, depending on your needs and your budget. rates are competitive. and they're the only plans of their kind endorsed by aarp. like any of these types of plans, they let you apply whenever you want. there's no enrollment window... no waiting to apply. so call now. remember, medicare supplement plans help cover some of what medicare doesn't pay.

you'll be able to choose any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. whether you're on medicare now or turning 65 soon, it's a good time to get your ducks in a row. duck: quack! call to request your free decision guide now. because the time to think about tomorrow is today.

or a little internet machine? it makes you wonder: shouldn't we get our phones and internet from the same company? that's why xfinity mobile comes with your internet. you get up to 5 lines of talk and text at no extra cost, so all you pay for is data. see how much you can save. choose by the gig or unlimited. xfinity mobile. a new kind of network designed to save you money. call, visit, or go to xfinitymobile.com. the storm surge watch is in effect north of jupiter, to venice. the storm surge is forecast to be three to ten feet. think about that, three to ten

feet in many areas, which is life threatening. this storm is wider than our entire state, expected to cause major and life-threatening impacts from coast-to-coast. remember, hurricane andrew is one of the worst storms in the history of florida. irma is more devastating on the current path. >> the catastrophic storm like the state has ever seen. strong words from rick scott telling people they must evacuate from the coast if they are under evacuation orders. hurricane irma is threatening all of south florida, especially miami's low lying coastal areas with the deadly storm surge. what could it look like a lot of people want to know. chad, people are concerned when it comes to the winds. they are scared of the surge. what could they be up against? >> the low pressure that it is, sucking in water and making a bubble of water higher than

normal, higher than sea level under the eye and slightly to the right of the eye of the path. so, it's what we saw in katrina that knocked down st. louis, wavela waveland. people call it a wall or water. it's not a wall. it's not a wall of water that splashes on shore. it's a surge. every wave is a foot higher than the last one. another foot higher. every time that water pounds you, it knocks things down. now, we know that the european model is going to bring the hurricane very close to marathon, the center of the eye. the american model, over here. this would be worldwide sportsmen and the like here and islander resort. here is vaca key. it doesn't matter which is right.

the storm has wind that does this for a long time before it makes landfall. the surge is from plantation key through key largo, up to almost ocean reef. then there's nothing there there. then you are back into key biscayne. water in lake surprise. water along the stretch and parts. all of this area here will fill up with the wind just blowing it on shore plus that bubble of water we talked about that is just here. this is what miami will look like downtown with a six foot surge. so, john berman, right there, he has to get out, clearly. everyone else should get out. all the water, back into the city, at six feet. now, there are estimates this could be 10 or 12 feet, which brings it way back here. all of a sudden, we are not only seeing a little storm surge, it's a big storm surge. that could get into the water supply. i'm fearful about this. we get salt in the fresh water,

because we don't need that. the aquafer is what we drink down there. people get cut off, can't go anywhere, the power is out, the water is out. it's no place to be after a storm surge. >> and how quickly they can get things back up and running. it's not just the impact, it's the days after that is a concern. the storm surge, you shouldn't be anywhere near it now. thanks for laying it out. fema says florida has never been hit by a storm like irma. president trump says officials are ready to handle what is on the way. a short time ago, the president tweeted, irma is of epic proportion, perhaps bigger than we have ever seen. the federal government is ready. the next guest has been dealing with hurricanes in florida for years. david is joining me now. he is the former director it have the florida division of

emergency management. david, i appreciate you joining me and bringing your perspective. from everything you have seen up to today, is florida ready? >> reporter: i will tell you what, i think florida is ready. i think the message that the governor has about get out and evacuate, get out now is critically important. now, let's talk about after the storm. we are focusing on the storm coming. after the storm, say you stayed in the keys, what are you going to do? first of all, we can't get to you because, guess what? the storm is coming up the center of the state. no one is going to come help. no one is going to bring you water and food. that's what you are going to hear. we are going to hear the tragic stories of people stuck on the keys or stuck somewhere that didn't evacuate. that's why it's so critically important. remember, this storm is going to affect the entire state of florida. >> david, jeb bush, to your point, the former florida governor said most of the deaths

from his perspective, most deaths that occur directly after the storm rather than during it. why is that? >> reporter: well, i did a study after the '04 storm season. we had four large storms hit us. we had 117 or so confirmed deaths. it went through the coroners reports on those. most were either drowning or after the storm. carbon monoxide in the garage because generators were left in closed spaces. people falling off the roofs because they are trying to do temporary roof repair. trees falling on people. e lek tricushions. the list goes on and on. typically, the majority of the people are not going to die from the storm itself, it's going to be drowning, flooding and that terrible storm surge we have been talking about all morning. >> looking ahead, as this approaches, there are reports there are thousands of people not heeding the warnings and folks deciding to not evacuate

the keys. they have ridden out the storm in the past. i know you have heard that before, they are not changing now whach now. what do you say to them this time? >> this is a different storm. they have been through wilma and hurricane andrew. this is a bigger storm. this is a catastrophic storm. that can't be emphasized more. we had reports of 30 some odd thousand people that evacuated the keys. well, there's about 80,000 that live there on a normal basis. that means barely not even touched half of the folks to get out of there. the question is, what are they going to do when they are cut off. say the eye rolls over the center of the keys and cuts off the causeway? they could be stuck there weeks without help. are they prepared to handle weeks without power or weeks without food and drinking water? >> in terms of the government

preparation and government response, i mean, as far as preparations go, they are pleased with how the government, the governor and local officials are preparing. but, emergency management, in terms of preparation, they can only go so far no matter what. you have to wait to see where the storm hits and what it is going to do. >> right. it's a four-step approach. first, personal responsibility. you know, if i live at the base of mt. st. helens like mr. truman did and it blows, it's not the government's fault he perished. if i don't evacuate and the storm comes over, i only have myself to blame. however, local government is going to go in as quickly as they can. state government will back them up. the storm is coming through the state. it's a dangerous chess game. you don't know where the storm

is coming and fema is doing the same thing. they will back up the state. >> what is your biggest -- a lot of folks are going to say people are hyperventilating. officials are saying this, they are doing a good job, hype ventilating about the storm. this is a cat 4 rather than a 5 like andrew was so it's different. it's less. what is the final message to folks? they have hours before this is about to hit the keys. >> i would say to them, first of all, again, this is a bigger storm than andrew. are the wind speeds a little less? a couple miles less. are you going to quibble about a couple miles an hour? you should leave now. if you are in the keys, get out. if you don't, your time is about up. you are hoping and praying the storm doesn't cause you great damage and injuries and/or death. >> david, you have the experience. i appreciate you coming in. i appreciate your expertise.

thank you very much. >> yes, ma'am. coming up for us, how deadly could the storm be for those who stay on the coast of miami? we are going to take you there, live. watching irma children over the bahamas toward the united states as we speak. 'saved money on motorcycle insurance with geico. goin' up the country. later, gary' i have a motorcycle! wonderful. ♪ ♪ i'm goin' up the country, baby don't you wanna go? ♪ ♪ i'm goin' up the country, baby don't you wanna go? ♪ geico motorcycle, great rates for great rides. when this bell rings... ...it starts a chain reaction... ...that's heard throughout the connected business world. at&t network security helps protect business, from the largest financial markets to the smallest transactions,

by sensing cyber-attacks in near real time and automatically deploying countermeasures. keeping the world of business connected and protected. that's the power of and. [and her new business: i do, to jeanetgo. jeanette was excellent at marrying people. but had trouble getting paid. not a good time, jeanette. even worse. now i'm uncomfortable. but here's the good news, jeanette got quickbooks. send that invoice, jeanette. looks like they viewed it. and, ta-da! paid twice as fast. oh, she's an efficient officiant. way to grow, jeanette. new. get paid twice as fast for free.

visit quickbooks-dot-com. dental professionals recommend using an electric toothbrush. for an exceptionally fresh feeling choose philips sonicare diamondclean. hear the difference versus oral b. in a recently published clinical study, philips sonicare diamondclean outperforms oral-b 7000, removing up to 82% more plaque and improving gum health up to 70% more. its sonic technology cleaning deep between teeth. from the most recommended sonic toothbrush brand by dental professionals. switch to philips sonicare today. philips sonicare. save when you buy now. wheyou wantve somto protect it.e, philips sonicare. at legalzoom, our network of attorneys can help you every step of the way. with an estate plan including wills or a living trust that grows along with you and your family. legalzoom. legal help is here.

the words of the florida governor, a catastrophic storm like the state has never seen. words of a former emergency manager, a dangerous chess game. if you are in the keys, get out. your time is up. they are looking at three foot to ten foot storm surge in the coastal areas. one of those places that is likely to be under water, miami

beach, florida. let's get there in miami beach. where you are standing, very soon will be absolutely flooded. >> reporter: yes. part of this that we have been talking, this conversation of why this is going to be so costly, why potentially this could be so deadly and dangerous to a community like miami beach. the reason why, you can see for yourself. if you look over here, this is what people love about miami beach, the skyline. it is glitzy. it is packed with high-rises. it is booming with development. that is precisely what makes irma potentially going to hurt miami beach so much. that's spite new building codes that have been put in place since hurricane andrew. look at this picture, a still image from 1925. that is one year before a category 4 storm in 1926. you can see the difference. miami beach looked completely different. this community has seen a population boom since hurricane

andrew, a growth of 35%. central and south florida seeing a population boost. millions more have come to the area since 1990. here is something else, kate. hurricane andrew was generally a strong wind event. yes, there was flooding. debris was a big issue. this is not just a wind event, it is storm surge. what we are seeing across miami beach, kate, people protecting against potential flooding. they say even on a sunny day, it can flood. kate? >> you are going to neat to move out of there quickly. when do they think the waters are going to head in. what is the best guess right now? >> reporter: you know, they are preparing for it now. >> yeah. >> reporter: the anticipation is as soon as the rain starts to fall tomorrow, miami beach is starting to expect they are going to see the waters rise. >> waters rise and quickly. kyung lah watching the prepuations. a beautiful day now, not going

to be soon. thank you. this morning, we are getting a look at the path and destruction irma has left behind in the caribbean. it is the strongest on record to hit the islands of turks and caicos. people are beginning to take stock of the damage overnight. this is a video from a man. he and his family survived the storm, which hammered the island with 150-mile-an-hour winds overnight. he is joining me now by phone. desmond, can you hear me? >> caller: yes, ma'am, i'm hearing you. >> thank you so much. we see your video of what you woke up to today. what was it like overnight? >> caller: trust me, i was a bit scared. i have to stay strong for my family. this is the first time in my life i witnessed anything like this. yeah. >> you lived in turks and caicos for nine years they were telling me. how does this compare to any storm you have lived through since you have lived there?

>> caller: this is the worst one. this is the worst, worst one i ever been through, trust me. the worst thing in my life. last night was the worst night of my life, trust me. >> you have a wife and little baby that you are protecting through the night. what was it? was it the rain or the wind? what did you hear or experience? >> caller: the wind, the wind, the wind. it was banging against the wall, the roof, the shutters. it moved up, you know? the worst part is when the water got on the roof. that's the time. it was banging, banging all over the place. you know? my wife, she started to cry because she said that's probably the roof. it was 1:00 in the morning when i woke up. i went outside and it was the gutters. >> i have heard harrowing stories of people visiting the island, trying to get off and

came up against obstacle after obstacle to get off. did you think about leaving, desmond? >> caller: no, no, no. never think about leaving. never think -- i know where i'm at, i am safe. they are talking mostly the sea would rise and all of that. so, i live far from the sea. i know where i live is well protected. so, i'm good. >> you work at a popular resort in turks. do you know how the resort faired? >> caller: they got a little bit of damage, you know. it's natural disaster, so a little damage. some of the trees are falling in. otherwise, we are good. good to go. brush it off and get up again, you know? >> brush it off and get back to work. your phone works, thankfully. how about water and power and other essentials you need? >> caller: we don't have power, but we stored water.

i went shopping a couple days ago and got a couple cases of water. that can keep my family and friends. we are good. >> thankfully you are good. you are very strong. i appreciate you coming on and sending your video. our best to you, your wife and daughter. thank you so much. >> caller: thank you, miss. have a good day. can i say something? >> of course. >> caller: the people that are in miami, trust me, you guys have to prepare for this. it's coming. it's coming. this is very serious. it is a fierce storm, it is coming. be strong. please take care. >> thank you so much. if you don't listen to officials, listen to a man who just lived through it overnight with his wife and little daughter. listen and heed those warnings. thank you so much. less than a year ago, folks in daytona beach were clearing up from matthew. are they ready for irma? how are they preparing? it is different? we will take you there live, next.

mike and i are both veterans, both served in the navy. i do outrank my husband, not just being in the military, but at home. she thinks she's the boss. she only had me by one grade. we bought our first home together in 2010. his family had used another insurance product but i was like well i've had usaa for a while, why don't we call and check the rates? it was an instant savings and i should've changed a long time ago. there's no point in looking elsewhere really. we're the tenneys and we're usaa members for life. usaa. get your insurance quote today.

hurricane irma barreling towards the united states, a storm like no other a state like florida has ever seen before so you need to get out according to the governor. we're showing you traffic near marion county, florida. folks heeding the warning heading north and getting out of dodge. not talking, not near miami. not near the southern counties. put up a map to show some folks, if we can. this is heading -- actually heading quite north. it's north of orlando, actually. to show you, give you a sense

how folks are, hope they are heeding warnings and getting out and heading north. you can see it's backed up in marion county, florida. over now to cnn's sara sidner in daytona beach on the coast. you were there nearly a year ago after hurricane matthew and are back there now and talking to people. what are they saying there? >> reporter: i'm going to bring in michael hannah from michael's on the beach. in this very boardwalk during matth matthew. can you tell me the feeling as you begin to board up your business? >> scary. trying to protect ourselves, protect our business, and as you see, getting, like, boarded up. like we have, like, a little problem here last year. water surge, water went in and had sand and debris in the store. like breaking in, into the store. went deep like 70, 80 feet in. there was -- it was a little

scary. >> reporter: we noticed damage from matthew when we were here before. for a person who worked here 11 years, owned a business, when you have to constantly worry about this now, what are your thoughts about how you handle this and will you stay? will you stay in daytona? we noticed it's pretty much a ghost town. only a few people are left here. >> actually, we are, i'm trying to get ready. i'm leaving. it's just scary. my kids are -- trying to move soon as we finish get down. tomorrow morning by 6:00, 7:00, heading to georgia on the road and even the hurricane, spaces," -- tropical storm following us there. i stayed longer and cover up my business and everything i should do like protect. >> reporter: thank you so much. michael hannah of michael's on the beach worried about getting hit again. was hit during hurricane matthew

a year ago and heard him say everyone in his family is panicking and he is getting out. >> thank you very much. appreciate it. of course, keeping track of hurricane irma. more on the storm coming up right after a quick break. super-cool notebooks, done. that's mom taking care of business. and with the "25 cent event", office depot officemax takes care of mom! now, all this just 25 cents each! ♪ taking care of business

what should i watch? show me sports. it's so fluffy! look at that fluffy unicorn! he's so fluffy i'm gonna die!

your voice is awesome. the x1 voice remote. xfinity. the future of awesome. welcome to "inside politics." i'm john king. thank you for sharing your day with us. irma is on a direct path to southern florida. giant storm surge predicted. the governor says the most catastrophic hurricane in state history. officials warning residents they best heed evacuation orders. >> i don't know anybody in florida that's ever experienced what's about to hit south florida. >> images from irma's path across the caribbean are heart breaking. tiny barbuda, fewer than 2,0