<P> The storm caused catastrophic damage in Barbuda, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin, Anguilla, and the Virgin Islands as a Category 5 hurricane . As of October 10, the hurricane has caused at least 134 deaths: one in Anguilla, one in Barbados, three in Barbuda, four in the British Virgin Islands, 10 in Cuba, 11 in the French West Indies, one in Haiti, three in Puerto Rico, four on the Dutch side of Sint Maarten, 90 in the contiguous United States, four in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and two others in unknown locations in the Caribbean . </P> <P> The National Hurricane Center (NHC) began monitoring a tropical wave over western Africa on August 26 . This wave moved off the coast of the continent late on August 27 . Throughout the next two days, showers and thunderstorms associated with the wave became better organized and gradually coalesced into a low pressure area, as the system passed just south of and then through the Cape Verde Islands on August 29, with the NHC stating that any significant organization of the disturbance would result in the classification of a tropical depression . Further organization over the next 24 hours or so led to classification of the disturbance as Tropical Storm Irma, at 15: 00 UTC on August 30, based on scatterometer data and satellite estimates . With warm sea surface temperatures and low wind shear, strengthening was anticipated, with the only hindrance being slightly cooler waters and drier air . </P> <P> The nascent storm began developing upper - level poleward outflow as an anticyclone became established over the system, with banding features becoming increasingly evident in satellite images . Early on August 31, shortly after the development of a central dense overcast (CDO) and an eye feature, Irma rapidly intensified beginning at 09: 00 UTC on August 31, with winds increasing from 70 mph (110 km / h) to 115 mph (185 km / h) in only 12 hours . On September 2, a ship passed 60 mi (90 km) to the west of the center of Irma, recording maximum winds of 45 mph (70 km / h), which indicated that the eye of Irma remained compact . A strengthening subtropical ridge over the central North Atlantic pushed Irma from a western to southwestern direction on September 2 and 3 . The first aircraft reconnaissance mission departed from Barbados on the afternoon of September 3, discovering an eye 29 mi (47 km) in diameter and surface winds of 115 mph (185 km / h). </P> <P> On September 4, after moving into more favorable conditions, Irma strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane . As it continued approaching the Leeward Islands, Irma underwent a second and more robust period of rapid intensification, becoming a Category 5 hurricane by 11: 45 UTC on the following day, with winds of 175 mph (280 km / h). As it began to take on annular characteristics, the extremely powerful hurricane continued to intensify, with maximum sustained winds peaking at 185 mph (295 km / h) near 00: 00 UTC on September 6--which would remain steady and unchanged for the next 37 hours . Six hours later, Irma made landfall along the northern coast of Barbuda near peak strength . Later that day, around 21: 00 UTC, the storm's pressure bottomed out at 914 hPa (27.0 inHg)--this was the lowest in the Atlantic since Dean in 2007 . While maintaining its intensity, Irma made successive landfalls at approximately 12: 00 UTC on Sint Maarten, and at 17: 00 UTC on Ginger Island and Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands . </P>

What is the current diameter of hurricane irma