Irma smashes into Florida coast bringing tornadoes, tidal surges and 130mph winds

Forecasts from the National Hurricane Center show that the impact of Hurricane Irma will stretch into Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee and Alabama.

A hurricane watch is in effect for the Georgia coast northward to Edisto Beach, South Carolina. Tropical storm warnings are in place along the Georgia and South Carolina coasts. Tropical storm watches also extend as far as eastern Alabama.

THE LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE EXPLAINED

A storm surge is not a wall of water or a tsunami.

Hurricane winds push water toward shore.

It can happen quickly and far from a storm's center, inundating areas that don't typically flood.

A storm surge doesn't just come from the ocean. It can come from sounds, bays and lakes, sometimes wells inland.

Large hurricanes tend to create a greater storm surge over a broader area, and coastal features such as bays can act like funnels and back water up into rivers and canals.

Forecasters say it kills more people than the strong winds.

The National Hurricane Center forecasts water levels up to 15 feet above ground for the Florida Keys.

The flooding threat extended far beyond the path of Irma's eye.

The Atlantic coast from Miami to Isle of Palms, South Carolina, could see up to 6 feet of storm surge.

About 1,000 miles of coastline from Tampa Bay to the mid-South Carolina coast could see storm surge.

So far Irma has claimed at least 24 lives after torturing the Caribbean. The death toll will likely rise as recovery missions continue.

There were no immediate reports of casualties in Cuba. Nine deaths were reported in the French Caribbean (St Martin and St Barthelemy), three in Puerto Rico, four in the U.S. Virgin Islands, four in the British Virgin Islands, two on the Dutch side of St. Maarten, one on Barbuda and one on Anguilla.

The storm toppled Cuba on Friday night and Saturday morning, pounding the island nation with 160mph winds and unprecedented rain.

Officials were desperate for anyone in the affected zones to get on the road before the conditions picked up on Saturday afternoon.

Seven thousand National Guard troops were brought in to help deal with the catastrophe. People in Florida were being told to prepare three days worth of food and water to ride out the storm.

Carl Roberts said he had Chinese food, a case of water and a million-dollar view in his 17th floor Gulf front condo, which is all he needed to weather the massive storm.

'No. 1, I don't have anywhere to go,' said Roberts, an attorney. 'And I'm on the 17th floor. I have security shutters, so I should be quite safe here.'

Carol Walterson Stroud figured Irma would turn elsewhere at first. Then, she didn't evacuate Key West because she's a nervous wreck driving alone, and her husband - 'a hard-headed conch' - wouldn't leave.

She is now hunkered down in a nearby senior center with her husband Tim, their granddaughter Sierra Costello, and dog Rocky. Her daughter, Breanna Vaughn, refused to leave her animals in her home a few blocks away.

'I'm afraid,' Stroud said. 'Tonight, I'm sweating. Tonight, I'm scared to death.'

The most threatening part of the storm is the wind speed and storm surges it will trigger.

Surges of 10 to 15ft are expected in parts of coastal southern Florida and could contribute to life threatening flooding on land. Heavy rain is also forecast and this will exasperate the situation in inland parts of the state.

Unlike Hurricane Harvey which wreaked havoc on Texas last week, Irma is predominantly a wind and surge event, FEMA Chief Brock Long said on Saturday.