As now-Tropical Storm Irma lashes Florida with wind and rain, causing record-setting flooding in areas and knocking out power to nearly 4.5 million homes and businesses, CTV News anchor Lisa LaFlamme, as well as correspondents, producers and camerapersons, are sharing glimpses of what it’s like to report from the disaster.
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Up to four- to five feet of flooding is feared Monday in Jacksonvile, Fla. With the St. Johns River already reading nearly 4.5 feet as of Monday morning and threatening to push water north into the city’s downtown.
This is the St. John's river - Jacksonville looks more like an ocean and more flooding to come #IrmaHurricane pic.twitter.com/B0WRhpAMYK
— Joy Malbon (@JoyCTV) September 11, 2017
Take a look at parts of downtown Jacksonville NE FLA record setting flooding in the wake of #IrmaHurricane pic.twitter.com/VTp8cwccq2
— Joy Malbon (@JoyCTV) September 11, 2017
Irma may have weakened but downtown Jacksonville in NE FLA looks more like a river #IrmaHurricane2017 pic.twitter.com/aDzm6AaG5P
— Joy Malbon (@JoyCTV) September 11, 2017
Downtown Jacksonville white caps in the downtown after record setting flooding overnight #IrmaHurricane2017 pic.twitter.com/G8ffkNeNF7
— Joy Malbon (@JoyCTV) September 11, 2017
Earlier Monday morning, CTV Washington bureau chief Joy Malbon shared this video her hotel room.
Outside my window listen as #Irma gives a last one two punch to NE FLA Jacksonville under a flash flood emergency pic.twitter.com/7Qn8xppfpR
— Joy Malbon (@JoyCTV) September 11, 2017
Meanwhile, CTV National News anchor Lisa LaFlamme and senior broadcast producer Rosa Hwang and crew had to dip into their gasoline reserves early on Monday afternoon. They were live on Facebook shortly before 1:30 p.m. ET, near Riverview, Fla., en route to Naples at the southwestern end of the state where Irma left a trail of destruction.
CTV National News anchor Lisa LaFlamme and senior broadcast producer Rosa Hwang and crew had to dip into their gasoline reserves early. They were live moments ago near Riverview, Florida, en route to Naples at the southwestern end of the state where Irma left a trail of destruction.
Posted by CTV News on Monday, September 11, 2017
Earlier in Orlando, which was bracing for hurricane-force wind gusts, LaFlamme and Hwang shared videos of the storm’s fury, as well as some concerns by hotel staff over whether their windows are strong enough to keep Irma out.
As #Irma pounds Orlando for the millions impacted by this unforgiving storm - in Florida and across the Caribbean. #StaySafe pic.twitter.com/XZDo39MrRJ
— Lisa LaFlamme (@LisaLaFlammeCTV) September 11, 2017
Hotel where we're staying just ordered everyone out of the restaurant and lobby. Worried about exploding windows. #Orlando #HurricaneIrma
— Rosa Hwang (@journorosa) September 11, 2017
Rattling windows in my Orlando hotel room makes me nervous. Won't get much sleep, but others have it much worse. Stay safe everyone. #Irma
— Rosa Hwang (@journorosa) September 11, 2017
As an aside, we chose to hunker down in Orlando thinking we'd avoid a direct hit. Now it looks like #Irma is tracking this direction.
— Rosa Hwang (@journorosa) September 11, 2017
Moving now to Fort Lauderdale, cameraman Liam Hyland showed what it was like on Sunday as he tried to piece together a story with a questionable power supply and a storm swirling menacingly outside.
Ending on a funny note despite the circumstances. Malbon captured this image in Jacksonville:
Bracing for #IrmaHurricane in NE FLA gotta love their sense of humor pic.twitter.com/37QyHLptuk
— Joy Malbon (@JoyCTV) September 10, 2017