VERO BEACH — Vero Beach is no longer in the forecast cone for Hurricane Irma, now that the powerful storm’s predicted track has moved farther west.
As of 11 a.m. Saturday, Indian River County is still expected to encounter sustained tropical-storm force winds of 54 mph on Sunday afternoon and evening, with occasional Category 1 hurricane-strength gusts of 75 mph, forecasters said.
Local officials had been preparing for much worse when the storm’s track included Palm Beach County. A mandatory evacuation order went into effect for the Vero Beach barrier island at 8 a.m. Saturday morning.
Hurricane Irma is currently skimming the coast of Cuba, moving west at 9 mph with 125 mph winds, weaker than previously recorded. But the storm is expected to strengthen, once it moves into the Florida Straits.
The center of the storm is expected to near the Florida Keys Sunday morning.