Irma Sparks Mandatory Evacuation by Miami Beach Mayor
CBS Reports: Miami-Dade County has issued mandatory evacuation orders for coastal cities ahead of Hurricane Irma.
Wednesday evening, the county issued a mandatory evacuation order for Zones A and B – the two closest to the coast. The order goes into effective at 7 a.m. Thursday.
“If you do not heed the warning and you do not heed the mandatory evacuation order and you have a problem, I’m not saying we can’t get to you, I’m saying we may not be able to get to you, so that’s the risk you are taking,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said.
Zone A includes most of Coastal Miami-Dade including Key Biscayne, while Zone B includes Miami Beach, Miami’s Brickell Avenue neighborhood, more inland areas and other oceanfront cities. Click here for a map of evacuation zones.
For optimum safety, those in Miami Beach are urged to evacuate using the most direct route to their destination, which include: A1A Northbound/Collins Avenue, 41 Street to Julia Tuttle Causeway and 5 Street to MacArthur Causeway westbound.
#HurricaneIrma: Mandatory evacuation ordered for all Miami-Dade residents of zone A and barrier islands of zone B (Miami Beach included). pic.twitter.com/jZPvN2dEKC
— Miami Beach Police (@MiamiBeachPD) September 6, 2017
“Miami-Dade County water is safe to drink. Open the tap and use containers in your home to store tap water,” said Gimenez. “There is nothing wrong with Miami-Dade County water. In the old days, we used to store them in pots and pans.”
Residents are urged to stay alert. Miami-Dade County offers a variety of apps and alerts to stay up to date. You can sign up for Miami-Dade Emergency Alerts that will let you know through email or texts about public safety issues, recommended public protective actions, or other emergency information. Their SAFE app lets users find open and available evacuation centers and Disaster Assistance Centers near you. To report damage info to the county, click here.
Read More at CBS
