Hermine hits Florida

Hurricane Hermine, the first hurricane to hit Florida since Wilma in 2005, has made landfall in the Gulf Coast.

The category 1 hurricane was preceded by heavy rain already impacting parts of the Big Bend, which includes counties of the Florida Panhandle, east of the Apalachicola River.

Hurricane warnings were already in effect for all coastal areas in the Big Bend, as well as inland counties from Liberty County to Madison County, including Tallahassee.

In the coastal areas from the Anclote River, north through Suwanee River, tropical storm warnings and hurricane watches are in effect.

The winds from Hermine are expected to cause structural damage to homes and businesses, and heavy rain and surge is expected to weaken certain foundations, according to AIR Worldwide.

In particular, the winds from the hurricane are expected to cause damage to roofing and siding materials, porches, awnings, carports and sheds, and unsecured mobile homes are particularly at risk.

There is also the risk of large trees snapping or becoming uprooted, falling on power lines and causes outages.

Marinas, docks, boardwalks and piers are also expected to be damaged.