Governor: ‘Do not ignore evacuation orders’
Residents on barrier islands, three Glades cities told to leave.
More than 290,000 Palm Beach County residents were urged to evacuate their homes on barrier islands and in areas prone to storm surge starting at 10 a.m. today, as Gov. Rick Scott warned that Hurricane Irma could bring “deadly storm surge” and “life-threatening winds” to Florida’s east coast.
The mandatory evacuations were ordered for roughly 123,000 residents living in Zones A and B. Those evacuation zones include the barrier islands, land areas north and south of the Jupiter Inlet, mobile homes, low-lying areas prone to water intrusion, and other surge-vulnerable areas along the Intracoastal Waterway.
Late Thursday, the county extended the mandatory evacuations to the sections of Zone E that include the three Glades cities and other unincorporated pockets near Lake Okeechobee. The mandatory order does not apply to those living in portions of Zone E along the coast. County officials said the threat of high winds, not a dike breech, led to the evacuation order. Roughly 32,000 people live the Glades area.
Voluntary evacuations were issued for those living in Zone C. The evacuations apply only to residents who are not sure if their home is safe or whose homes are prone to excessive flooding. Zone C generally includes proper-
ties from the Intracoastal waterway west to U.S. 1 in the south and central part of the county, and areas in close proximity to the Loxahatchee River and the northern tip of the Lake Worth Lagoon. About 138,000 people live in those areas.
Scott urged state residents to heed the warning and leave their homes.
“Do not ignore evacuation orders,” Scott said. “You can rebuild your home. You cannot rebuild your life or your family.”
Scott said Irma has the potential to be more devastating than Hurricane Andrew, a Category 5 storm that hit the state in 1992 causing $26.5 billion in damage.
“This is much worse and more devastating on its current path,” Scott warned.
Bill Johnson, head of the county’s emergency management division, urged those planning to leave their homes to “stay within Palm Beach County.”
“The roads are congested,” he said. “The gas stations have long lines.”
To determine if your home is in an evacuation zone, go to readyPBC. com. County officials urged those who are not in an evacuation zone to shelter in place.
The county had planned to open 17 shelters today, including a special-needs shelter and a pet-friendly shelter, with the capacity to house as many as 47,000 people. But County Administrator Verdenia Baker said late Friday that two of the shelters in the Glades area were removed from the list because of the expanded evacuation order.
Baker said the county is working with school district officials to identify more shelter sites.
Roughly 7,000 National Guard members will be deployed today to help with the storm, and 13 helicopters and more than 1,000 high-water vehicles are on standby, Scott said.
Scott said President Donald Trump has vowed to help secure resources and supplies for the state.
The state has requested tarps, water, baby food, search-and-rescue crews and equipment, military water craft and aircraft, with the ability to move fuel, Scott said.