As Hurricane Irma barreled toward the United States with record-breaking winds, Florida residents on Wednesday were busy stocking up on dwindling supplies — and scrambling to get the hell out of town.
“We’ve had our fair share of hurricane parties, and we can hunker down and get through it, but this is not one of those times,” said Diana Grana, 27, who was evacuating from Plantation, Fla., with her baby and boyfriend.
“We waited in line for gas yesterday for an hour and my dad almost got into a fight. Everyone’s stressing out, and basically everyone’s panicking.”
Storm models show multiple paths for Hurricane Irma, but the Category 5 storm could hit South Florida as soon as Sunday.
On Wednesday, many supermarkets along Florida’s southern coast had already run out of essentials like bread and water — and booze, residents said.
“The liquor store near my house last night was about half empty, the ice machine was totally empty,” said Henry Dubocq, 24, who lives in West Hollywood.
“You’re talking about seven to 11 feet of storm surge, and people on the beach are trying to stay, and I’m like you’re going to drown. It’s just hectic in general, it’s crazy.”
Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief said mandatory evacuations would begin Thursday at noon for those living in vulnerable areas — and some Florida highways were already clogged with traffic.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who has activated 1,000 National Guard members, issued a stern warning, saying Irma could be even more dangerous than 1992’s Hurricane Andrew.
“I cannot stress this enough: Do not ignore evacuation orders,” he said during a news conference. “We can rebuild your home, but we cannot rebuild your life.