Hurricane Irma: Will It Reach Charlotte?

CHARLOTTE, NC -- Weather forecasters are calling Hurricane Irma a Category 4 monster that could break records for destruction and mayhem when it passes through Florida this weekend. Thousands of residents of the Sunshine State are fleeing the coming storm, jamming the highways and causing gasoline shortages.

The hurricane brought 180-mile-per-hour winds and sheets of rain as it moved past Puerto Rico on Thursday, according to media reports and hovered over Cuba Saturday morning. But by the time Irma reaches the edges of North Carolina and South Carolina early next week, it will have petered out into an ordinary storm system, say forecasters. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news in Charlotte — or other neighborhoods. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)

The National Hurricane Center predicted Saturday that Irma has the potential to bring two to four inches of rain to the Charlotte metro area, while Florida is bracing for more than 20 inches.

The Charlotte area will begin to see signs of the storm Sunday, when winds will begin stirring around 10-20 mph, with winds picking up to gusts by Monday, according to WBTV forecasters. While Irma’s core will stay to the west of the Carolinas, centering over Georgia and Tennessee where it will downshift to a tropical depression. Even so, by Monday afternoon the Charlotte area will see wind gusts in the 45-55 mph range, WBTV said.

Analysis: There's No Way Around Irma's Wrath For Florida

Patch Editor Chris Gaudet contributed to this article.

Images courtesy National Weather Service

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