Hurricane Irma hits Florida, leaves destruction and havoc in its pathe

Hurricane Irma is lashing the Florida Keys and parts of South Florida with torrential rains, wind gusts in excess of 100 mph, and storm surges filling the streets.

At 9:10 a.m., the monster storm made landfall at Cudjoe Key, making this the first time on record that two Category 4 storms — Irma and Harvey — made landfall in the US.

More than 1 million people in South Florida lost power before 10 a.m., before the worst of the hurricane forces even started to reach the mainland.

In the Keys, those still on the islands reported dire conditions.

"Everything is underwater, I mean everything," Larry Kahn, an editor or local news site FlKeysNews.com reported from a shelter in Marathon in the Middle Keys.

Some of those still on the islands, including staff with the National Weather Service still on site in Key West, have posted photos and videos showing what it's like on the islands:

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In the latest forecast, the National Hurricane Center warned of venturing outside when things seemed to have calmed.

"Do not venture outside when the calm eye of the hurricane passes over, as dangerous winds will return very quickly when the eye moves away," forecasters wrote.

As Irma moves on from the Keys, the storm is expected to make its way up the west coast of Florida — though the hurricane is large enough that wind and rain could stretch across the entire state. Major population centers like Tampa are still in the hurricane's direct path.