Best wishes to everyone in the path of yet another “unprecedented” storm barreling toward the US– Hurricane Irma, which is on course to strike the Gulf Coast of Florida Sunday morning.
In one of the biggest evacuations ever ordered in the U.S., about 6.3 million people in Florida — more than one-quarter of the state’s population — were warned to leave, and 540,000 were directed to clear out from the Georgia coast. Authorities opened hundreds of shelters for people who did not leave. Hotels as far away as Atlanta filled up with evacuees.
“If you are planning to leave and do not leave tonight, you will
have to ride out this extremely dangerous storm at your own risk,” Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Friday. He urged everybody in the Keys to get out.
And mass evacuations take their own toll.
Michael Grunwald, who lives in south Florida, explains why nobody– or at least a lot fewer people– should live there. By my count I’ve spent time in 39 of the 50 US states, but never Florida. Which is fine with me.
Update: Downtown Miami (which isn’t even in the direct path of the storm).
WOW! Look at these pictures of Brickell Ave. in downtown Miami. INSANE! Please be safe. #HurricaneIrma #Miami #Soflo @nbc6 pic.twitter.com/0kymVvLXnZ
— Erika Glover (@ErikaGloverNBC6) September 10, 2017
