Florida evacuates as Irma closes in
MONSTER Hurricane Irma’s deadly winds have started lashing the United States, bringing tornadoes, knocking out power for thousands and driving storm surges of up to 4.6m along Florida’s coast.
More than 75,000 packed into shelters yesterday in the biggest mass evacuation in US history, with seven million told to leave their homes as 18 million Americans were placed under a hurricane warning.
Some chose to ignore the evacuation order while others missed a narrow window to flee after the storm changed course over the weekend to put lowlying west-coast cities of Naples, Fort Myers and Tampa in its crosshairs.
Although Irma’s progress slowed yesterday from to 9.6km/h, it remains one of the biggest Atlantic hurricanes in history and is twice the width of the state of Florida.
“If you have been ordered to evacuate, you need to leave now. This is your last chance to make a good decision,” Governor Rick Scott said last night.
“This is a deadly storm and our state has never seen anything like it.”
He warned anyone who ignored mandatory evacuation orders would likely “not survive”.
Among hundreds who elected to stay out the storm was Key Largo car detailer Phillip Hodes’s father Mike, who remained at home despite his family’s urgings for him to leave with them.
“My dad’s staying down in the Keys. I guess he’s crazy. They live in a nice concrete house and it’s got impact windows and doors to hopefully keep him safe,” said Mr Hodes, 24, who is packed into an Orlando hotel room with his mum, dog Rascal and six others.
“We tried to convince him to leave but he didn’t really think it would get bad.
“I hope he’s there when we get back.”
Irma broke several strength and size records as it churned through the Caribbean last week, and meteorologists yesterday said it had potential to be one of America’s worst-ever hurricanes.
“Key West is probably going to get its worst storm in modern history, and perhaps ever,” said Weather Channel hurricane specialist Bryan Norcross.
“In Southwest Florida — the Naples-Ft Myers-Cape Coral area — the potential exists for the worst hurricane in history.
“The core of Hurricane Irma, potentially with winds gusting over 150 mph (241km/ hr) or more, is going to come close. Buildings in southwest Florida are not, in general, built to withstand these winds.”
President Donald Trump also urged residents in Irma’s path to “get out of its way”.
“All of America grieves for those who have already lost their lives, we have had many lives lost already from Hurricane Irma and it hasn’t even hit shore,” Mr Trump said as he addressed the cabinet.
“This is a storm of enormous destructive power and I ask everyone in the storm path to heed all instructions. Property is replaceable but lives are not and safety has to come first.”