Here's how big Hurricane Irma is compared to Florida

Hurricane Irma is already the most powerful hurricane in recorded Atlantic Ocean history.

The Category 5 hurricane made landfall in the Caribbean with winds of up to 185 mph and is headed toward Florida.

So, how massive is this storm?

As of 4 p.m. Thursday (Sept. 7), the hurricane was twice as wide as the Florida peninsula.

Take a look at the illustration below, which compares the size of Florida with the size of Hurricane Irma (satellite image by Weather Underground https://www.wunderground.com/wundermap )

Only three Category 5 hurricanes have ever hit the United States: Andrew (1992), Camille (1969) and an unnamed storm in 1935. As of now, Irma is expected to lose a little steam and become a Category 4 before it hits the United States.

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