New collateral damage for Florida courts: Judges and court staff must now juggle thousands of cases, missed deadlines and canceled judicial sales in the wake of Hurricane Irma.

Courts across the state closed as Irma barreled toward Florida as a potentially catastrophic Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 150 mph.

The move was a safety precaution in the days before the hurricane slashed power lines, ripped and snapped trees, drowned streets in storm surges and caused billions in property and infrastructure damage.