Hurricane Irma hits Florida

Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida on Sunday bringing with it  devastating winds and life-threatening storm surges.

Irma is reported to be on a path that would take it along the state's Gulf of Mexico coast near population centers including Tampa and St. Petersburg.

The hurricane which killed at least 22 people in the Caribbean, was considered a life-threatening danger to Florida, and could inflict a natural disaster causing billions of dollars in damage to the third-most-populous U.S. state.

Many residents in Miami were without power on Sunday morning.

More than 2,000 flights in and out of Florida were canceled on Saturday, and ground transport was scrambled by millions fleeing for safety.

Amid urgent warnings from state officials to evacuate before it was too late, downtown Miami was all but abandoned on Saturday.