Hurricane Irene Misses Florida Keys
Friday, Aug. 26 • 8:03 a.m.
With its center core now at latitudes well north of the Florida Keys, Hurricane Irene has officially missed the island chain, Jon Rizzo, warning coordinator for the National Weather Service office in Key West, said Thursday.
The center of Irene came within 230 miles of Key Largo, the closest point in the Keys to the Category 3 storm, Rizzo said.
Irene is moving north at 14 mph, according to forecasters at the National Hurricane Center. It is expected to turn north-northeast Saturday.
There were no tropical cyclone warnings or watches in the Keys -- or anywhere else in Florida -- associated with the storm. Keys Emergency Management officials did not need to issue protective actions.
Online
National Hurricane Center: www.nhc.noaa.gov
National Weather Service Key West: www.srh.noaa.gov
Official tracking map from the National Hurricane Center shows the projected path for Hurricane Irene. The storm stayed away from the Florida Keys. Graphic courtesy NHC.