Florida Governor Rick Scott meets with his team and officials in preparation for Hurricane Irma in Jacksonville on September 7, 2017.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott told residents to know their evacuations zones and, as Hurricane Irma barrles toward the state, more evacuations are being ordered.
“If you live in any evacuation zones and you’re still at home, leave!” Gov. Scott warned Floridians at a news conference Thursday. “Do not try to ride out this storm … we can’t save you once the storm hits.”
“This is a catastrophic storm that our state has never seen.”
At least 500,000 people in South Florida now face evacuation orders, adding to the estimated 31,000 who left the Florida Keys as of 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Evacuations are underway in Palm Beach County. County officials issued mandatory evacuations for zones A, B, and E. Voluntary evacuations are in effect for Zone C.
The western Palm Beach County communities in Zone E including Belle Glade, South Bay, and Pahokee were issued a mandatory evacuation order beginning Friday at 10 a.m. Officials ask those who are leaving to follow the evacuation routes mapped out online.
Pinellas County Evacuation Zones
Palm Beach County Evacuation Zones
Hernando County Evacuation Zones
Hillsborough County Evacuation Zones
Find maps for all zones and routes maps, here.
Gov. Scott has also ordered all schools to be closed on Friday in anticipation of the storm to give residents more time to prepare. Alachua County and a few others had been holding off on closures for Friday, putting strain on families struggling to prepare and find fuel.
Live stream coverage of Hurricane Irma, the strongest storm every measured in the Atlantic reaching Category 5, including The Weather Channel. Live coverage AND live blog updates have been made available for everyone (no paywall), but readers can support coverage here and here.
