M’sians ready to face wrath of Irma

They are staying put in Florida and are bracing for hurricane and a wet, wet weekend

PETALING JAYA: It’s known as the Sunshine State but Malaysians in Florida are stocking up their homes with food and other supplies amidst news that Hurricane Irma will unleash its fury.

For now, it is still home sweet home for many of them.

Pastry chef Hani Johari Blythe, who lives in Saint Petersburg, a low lying peninsula on the west of Florida, said she and her husband are planning to stay put in their apartment.

“There are evacuation orders out for those in extreme low-lying areas and for mobile homes but individuals are not forced to evacuate,” said Hani, 33.

She said her family had emergency supplies packed in case they needed to leave their home.

“We have food and water for more than five days in our apartment,” she said, adding that supermarkets had run out of supplies like bread and water while restaurants and shops across town were closed.

“Petrol is running low at petrol stations and the highways are very congested with heavy traffic,”

However, Hani said that local residents who have been through hurricanes before, or lived in higher elevation areas, have boarded up their homes and opted to stay put.

“If we need to, we will go to a friend’s place or nearby shelter, but we won’t be leaving the state.

“We will ride it out here at our apartment if it’s safe to do so because there will many others who need the spot at the shelters,” she said.

Hurricane Irma, according to news reports, is one of the strongest ever recorded in the Atlantic.

As for Selvi Thambymuthu-Thaver, who lives in Barrier Islands located 288km north of Miami, she said the mandatory evacuations in her area started on Friday at 3pm (US time).

“We are moving to the mainland in Melbourne, Florida, and will be stay- ing at a hotel,” said the housewife, who is in her 50s.

Selvi, who has lived in Florida for 32 years and been through numerous hurricanes, said: “The beaches of Miami and downtown Miami are practically empty. Everyone in the path (of the hurricane) has heeded the authorities’ warnings.”