Hurricane Irma: Americans told to flee as storm smashes into Cuba
September 09, 2017 09:07
Hurricane Irma lashed Cuba and the Bahamas as it drove toward Florida on Saturday after hitting the eastern Caribbean with its devastatingly high winds, killing 21 people and leaving catastrophic destruction in its wake.
As many as 5.6 million people were told to evacuate from Florida -- more than a quarter of the state's population. At least 540,000 people in parts of Georgia were also told to flee as the storm headed towards the American mainland.
"This is a storm that will kill you if you don't get out of the way," said National Hurricane Center meteorologist and spokesman Dennis Feltgen.
Feltgen said the storm has a really wide eye, with hurricane-force winds that cover the entire Florida peninsula and potentially deadly storm surges on both coasts.
Tom Bossert, US homeland security adviser, said: "Please listen to your local authorities.
"You need to evacuate from south to north -- that is a staggered and carefully thought-out process.
"There will come a point where you are on your own."
In West Palm Beach, police are going door to door, urging people to obey the mandatory evacuation order.
Rick Scott, the governor of Florida, said they were working to ensure that fuel was available for cars to get to shelters. He told people they should not wait, and should leave now.
Irma claimed its first victim in Florida, even before making landfall, when a 57-year-old man fell from a ladder while fitting storm shutters at his home.
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