HERE COMES IRMAGEDDON
Florida pol: Flee ‘nuclear hurricane’
Florida residents were bracing on Thursday for a direct hit from deadly Hurricane Irma, which is projected to slam straight into the state this weekend as a Category 4 storm.
Urging locals to flee their homes, Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine described Irma as a “nuclear hurricane.”
“I never thought I’d say this . . . leave Miami Beach,” he told CNN. “We don’t need heroes.”
Gov. Rick Scott also pleaded with people in vulnerable zones to evacuate, telling hurricane-hardened residents to not underestimate the seriousness of the storm.
“This is a catastrophic storm our state has never seen,” Scott said in one of several press conferences. “This storm has the potential to catastrophically devastate our state.”
The National Hurricane Center put South Florida and the Florida Keys under a hurricane watch Thursday, announcing that Irma would likely lash Key West with tropical-storm-force winds as soon as Saturday.
“The main concerns for South Florida at this time are the potential for destructive winds and life-threatening storm surge,” the National Weather Service said.
Areas of South Florida could see storm surges of five to 10 feet in the next 48 hours.
“Harvey was a rain event,” Scott said. “With Irma, the storm surge could cover your house. Think about that if you’re close to the coast.”
Early Friday, the storm was still churning through the south-eastern Bahamas and northern Cuba, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 165 mph.
Some 6,000 Americans remained stranded in St. Martin after Irma wiped out its airport — world famous for low-flying planes that buzzed over the heads of beachgoers.
“If you live in any evacuation zones and you’re still at home, leave!” warned Scott, adding that he would activated 3,000 additional National Guard members to help with storm preparations.
“You can rebuild your home . . . you cannot recreate your family.”
Forecasters said Irma was projected to barrel straight into Miami-Dade County — home to nearly 2.7 million people — over the weekend.
With mass evacuations ordered throughout the state — and affecting more than 750,000 people — cars were stuck in bumper-tobumper traffic and gas shortages were widely reported.
On Thursday evening, 39 percent of gas stations in Miami and Fort Lauderdale had run out of fuel.
“We are aggressively working around-the-clock to bring more fuel to Florida gas stations,” Scott said.
Florida state police were escorting fuel trucks to gas stations along evacuation routes, and Scott asked the military to ac- company tanker boats sailing in with emergency supplies.
The governor encouraged residents to get only the fuel they need and find shelter in counties close to their homes.
“We’ve got to be considerate of others so everyone can get out,” Scott said.
Mari and Neal Michaud said that they left their home near Cocoa Beach for Washington, DC, at 10 a.m., and that it took five hours to travel 60 miles up Interstate 95, where they finally found gas.
“People are stranded on the sides of the highway,” she told The Associated Press. “It’s 92 degrees out, and little kids are out on the grass on the side of the road. No one can help them.”
A National Hurricane Center scientist tweeted that Irma “has me sick to my stomach.”
“This hurricane is as serious as any I have seen. No hype, just the hard facts,” Eric Blake wrote. “I have little doubt #Irma will go down as one of the most infamous in Atlantic hurricane history.”
Amid all the panic, some Floridians sought some liquid comfort to assuage their fears.
“Now I’m getting anxiety,” said Denise Magnone, a Long Island native who was having a drink at the Bru’s Room in Deerfield Beach. “My mom in New York told me to get the f- -k outta there.”
Barbara Skulszki was having a drink with pals at Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill in Deerfield Beach, as they enjoyed the calm before the storm.
Skulszki said that her relatives up north are more concerned than she is. “I just tell everyone my helmet’s on, nothing can hurt me,” she said.
Scott warned residents on Florida’s west coast that Irma’s path could change and that everyone should be preparing to evacuate.
Farther north, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal issued a mandatory evacuation order along the coast, including Savannah.
“I encourage all Georgians in our coastal areas that could be impacted by this storm to evacuate the area as soon as possible,” he said.