Hurricane Irma batters Caribbean islands, poses increasing threat to Florida

KEY WEST, Fla. – Hurricane Irma barreled toward the U.S. mainland Wednesday, prompting the southernmost county in Florida to begin evacuations along its lone island-hopping highway while the “potentially catastrophic Category 5″ storm menaced Puerto Rico and a wide swath of the Caribbean.
Forecasters said Irma posed an increasing threat to South Florida, a sprawling and densely populated mass of cities and suburbs hugging the coastline. As dire warnings mounted, schools and off