The National Hurricane Center says the core of Irma is now nearing Tampa in an area south of Lakeland - a community inland and to the east of the heavily populated Tampa Bay region.

Looking at deaths, damage, rainfall and wind speeds of major hurricanes. — -- Hurricane Irma is believed to be the most powerful Atlantic storm in a decade, but its predecessors in both the ...

Hurricane Irma, still a Category 5 storm, is forecast to move to the islands of Turks and Caicos and the southeastern Bahamas by Thursday evening. It is expected to hit Florida early Sunday morning.