A few details before storm

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport will be closed this weekend, with the last plane expected to depart at 7:45 p.m. this morning, Broward Mayor Barbara Sharief said on Thursday.

Sharief said garages at the airport are nearly full and travelers are not guaranteed a parking space. She warned that the airport and Port Everglades are not shelters, and their parking garages are not suitable for storing cars in the storm.

Many flights were already canceled or delayed Thursday.

In Palm Beach County, emergency officials ordered about 125,000 residents to evacuate beginning at 10 a.m. this morning, before the potential arrival of Hurricane Irma.

“Please evacuate as we are now telling you,” County Administrator Verdenia Baker said, urging residents to go to shelters, or stay with a friend or loved one. “Evacuate miles — not hundreds of miles.”

The late afternoon announcement came nearly five hours after Florida Gov. Rick Scott visited the county’s emergency operations center and warned residents not to ignore evacuation instructions with a Category 5 storm looming.

“This is serious and we cannot take chances,” he said. “This is life-threatening … we can’t save you when the storm starts.”

Miguel Ascarrunz, Broward’s emergency management director, continued to advise people evacuating to seek shelter with family or friends within the county outside the evacuation zones, or at one of the county-opened shelters. Broward County has ordered the evacuation of the barrier islands, people living east of U.S. 1, people in mobile homes and those living in low-lying areas.

Ascarrunz said officials are concerned about too many people attempting to flee the county, clogging the roadways that can cause additional problems.

“You have people running out of gas, medical con-

ditions,” Ascarrunz said.

Broward Sheriff Scott Israel said people should be thinking not just about preparations for the hurricane, but for what comes next.

“It’s very important to have a plan on how you’re going to get back to your lives,” Israel said. “Have your plan in place, finalize it today, and do everything you can to stay safe.”

Palm Beach County’s mandatory evacuations are for homes in Zone A and Zone B. A voluntary evacuation is being issued for those in Zone C.

Officials say Zone A includes mobile homes and low-lying areas prone to “water intrusion.” Zone B generally includes the barrier islands, lands areas north and south of the Jupiter Inlet, and other areas along the Intracoastal Waterway that are vulnerable to storm surge.

President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate and private club on Palm Beach is in the evacuation zone.

The voluntary evacuation for Zone C is only for residents who are unsure of the safety of their home or if their home is prone to excessive flooding — people who have experienced water inside their homes in previous storms.

Zone C generally includes properties from the Intracoastal Waterway west to U.S. Highway 1 in South County and Central County, and areas in close proximity to the Loxahatchee River and the northern tip of the Lake Worth Lagoon.

There are about 49,000 residents in Zone A and 74,000 residents in Zone B. Zone C has close to 138,000 residents.

To find out if your home is in a storm surge evacuation zone, go to readyPBC.com or download a free app called “PBC DART.”

In his media briefing, the governor acknowledged major highways have significant traffic delays and he urged motorists to “be patient” if they are evacuating.

He urged homeowners outside the Keys, which is under a full-scale evacuation, to “find shelters in your county.”

Shelters

Palm Beach County’s 17 shelters, including a pet shelter, are scheduled to open 10 a.m. today, the same time the evacuation orders take effect. There is capacity for 47,000 people, though in previous major storms they have not been filled up.

Officials say volunteers are still needed to staff some of Palm Beach County’s shelters. If you would like to volunteer to help staff a shelter, call 561-712-6737 or call the United Way Volunteer Hotline at 561-375-6621.

Callers to the Broward County’s 311 hurricane hotline is experiencing waits of up to 15 minutes, Sharief said.

More than 6,400 stormrelated calls had been answered by 311 operators as of noon Thursday, she said.

Israel asked that people with hurricane questions use that number and not tie up 911.

“911 lines are strictly for emergencies, as always,” Israel said.

Sharief said once winds reach 45 mph, officers will not be able to respond to 911 calls.

Gasoline

A tanker at Port Everglades off-loaded 8.4 million gallons of gasoline Thursday afternoon. Deliveries to local gas stations from the port will continue through today, Sharief said. All ships will be required to leave the port this morning.

Despite problems some people have been having filling their cars with gas, Sharief said that “people have to be patient.”

“Fuel supplies in Broward County are ample, but demand is high and there are delays and shortages at some stations,” Sharief said. The port supplies gasoline to 12 southern Florida counties.

Deputy Port Director Glenn Wiltshire said enough fuel has to remain in port tanks to keep them in place during the hurricane. The companies also have to keep a “storm reserve” for after Irma is gone.

Gov. Scott also announced efforts to get more fuel to gas stations across the state, and he urged gas stations to remain open as long as possible.

“Our focus will continue to be getting fuel to Floridians quickly,” he said, explaining efforts are under way to bring more gasoline to the state.

Bridges

South Florida drawbridges will not open after noon today in preparation for Hurricane Irma, Broward’s director of highway and bridge maintenance said.

People still will be able to drive over the bridges, but large boats will not be able to pass underneath.

Director Anh Ton said the lockdown will make it easier for people who have not left the barrier islands by then to evacuate. It will also give time for workers to tie down the bridges and remove gate arms so they don’t become projectiles in the strong winds.

Also being locked down are bridges over the New River at Southeast Third Avenue, Andrews Avenue, Southwest Fourth/Southwest Seventh avenues and Davie Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale.

Landfills

The Broward County landfill will remain open today, with extended hours until 6 p.m. “The landfill accepts vegetative and yard waste, construction and demolition waste and bulk waste,” Sharief said.

The county’s three household hazardous waste drop-off sites will be closed Saturday. The north county residential drop-off center in Pompano Beach will accept only household hazardous waste from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. today. The center is open to residents of the Broward Municipal Services District, Dania Beach, Lighthouse Point, Margate, Parkland, Pembroke Park, Sea Ranch Lakes and Wilton Manors.

The Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County announced that today is the last day of garbage collection before the storm. All waste facilities and operations will be closed Saturday through Monday.

“After the storm passes, SWA facilities will be evaluated for damage so they can open and begin receiving garbage as soon as possible,” according to a news release.

Residents are welcome to bring garbage to the company’s landfill or a transfer station before 6 p.m. today.