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A2 UP FRONT
Saturday 9 September 2017
Irma bears down on Florida, more than 5M told to flee coast

Continued from Front found nothing and rental
cars were sold out, so he
“This is a storm that will kill settled on a modern meth-
you if you don’t get out of od of evacuation.
the way,” National Hurri- He hired an Uber to pick
cane Center meteorologist them up and drive them
Dennis Feltgen said. “Ev- 170 miles to Orlando, where
erybody’s going to feel this he met them to take them
one.” to Atlanta. He gave the
Irma killed at least 20 peo- driver a nice tip.
ple in the Caribbean and “I have peace of mind
left thousands homeless as now,” said Marcellus’
it devastated small resort is- mother, Celine Jean. “I’ve
lands known for their warm, been worried sick for days.”
turquoise water. Several small, poor com-
In Florida, gas shortages munities around Lake
and gridlock plagued the Okeechobee in the south-
evacuations, turning nor- central part of Florida were
mally simple trips into tests added to the evacuation
of will. Parts of interstates 75 list because the lake may
and 95 north were bumper- overflow — but the gover-
to-bumper, while very few nor said engineers expect
cars drove on the south- the protective dike to hold
bound lanes. Gustavo Mejia, left, of Miami, and his nephew Juan Sebastian Mejia, of Palmira, Colombia, take up. Many people in the
“We’re getting out of this a selfie in front of a boarded up hotel on South Beach, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, in Miami Beach, Fla. area said they wouldn’t
Juan Sebastian Mejia was on vacation from Colombia when his flight back home was cancelled.
state,” said Manny Zuniga, Hurricane Irma aimed its sights on millions of homes and businesses in Florida and officials warned leave because they ei-
who left his home in Miami that time was running out to evacuate ahead of the deadly hurricane, which was headed Friday ther had no transportation
at midnight Thursday to on a long-feared path right through the heart of the peninsula. or nowhere to go. Disney
avoid the gridlock. “Irma is (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) World parks will close early
going to take all of Florida.” quarter of the state’s pop- people fleeing could drive ous storm at your own risk,” Saturday and remain shut-
Despite driving overnight, ulation — were ordered slowly in the shoulder lane Scott said. tered through Monday, as
he still took 12 hours to to evacuate and another on highways. He hasn’t Tony Marcellus racked his will Universal Orlando and
reach Orlando — a trip that 540,000 were told to leave reversed the southbound brain to figure out a way to Sea World. Miami-Dade
normally takes four hours. the Georgia coast. Au- lanes because he said they get his 67-year-old mother County Mayor Carlos Gi-
From there, he and his wife, thorities opened hundreds were needed to deliver and 85-year-old grandfa- menez said he planned
two children, two dogs and of shelters for people who gas and supplies. ther out of their home five for enough space to hold
a ferret were headed to Ar- did not leave. Hotels as far “If you are planning to blocks from the ocean in 100,000 people before
kansas. away as Atlanta filled up leave and do not leave to- West Palm Beach. He lives the storm arrives, although
About 5.6 million people in with evacuees. night, you will have to ride 600 miles away in Atlanta. most shelters were only be-
Florida — more than one Florida Gov. Rick Scott said out this extremely danger- He checked flights but ginning to fill on Friday.q

Irma’s victims in the Caribbean brace for another hurricane

By ANIKA KENTISH trapped thousands of tour- sea level, authorities or-
MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN ists; and stripped trees of dered an evacuation of all
Associated Press their leaves, leaving an 1,400 people to neighbor-
ST. JOHN’S, Antigua (AP) eerie, blasted-looking land- ing Antigua, where Stevet
— Thousands of Irma vic- scape littered with sheet Jeremiah was reunited with
tims across the Caribbean metal and splintered lum- one son and made plans to
fought desperately to find ber. On Friday, looting and bury another.
shelter or escape their gunshots were reported on Jeremiah, who sells lobster
storm-blasted islands alto- St. Martin, and a curfew and crab to tourists, was
gether Friday as another was imposed in the U.S. Vir- huddled in her wooden
hurricane following close gin Islands. home on Barbuda early
behind threatened to add Many of Irma’s victims fled Wednesday with her part-
to their misery. their islands on ferries and ner and their 2- and 4-year-
With Irma and its 155 mph fishing boats for fear of Hur- old boys as Irma ripped
(250 kph) winds taking aim ricane Jose, a Category 4 open their metal roof and
at the Miami metropolitan This photo shows storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane storm with 150 mph winds sent the ocean surging into
area of 6 million people, Irma in Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands. Irma scraped Cuba’s that could punish some the house.
the death toll in the storm’s northern coast Friday on a course toward Florida, leaving in its places all over again over Her younger son, Carl Ju-
wake across the Caribbe- wake a ravaged string of Caribbean resort islands strewn with the weekend. nior Francis, was swept
an climbed to 22. splintered lumber, corrugated metal and broken concrete. “I don’t think it takes a away. Neighbors found his
Puerto Rico, the Dominican (Jalon Manson Shortte via AP) rocket scientist to know body after sunrise. “Two
Republic and the eastern and tourists farther east Among them: St. Martin, St. that further damage is im- years old. He just turned 2,
part of Cuba reported no were left reeling after the Barts, St. Thomas, Barbuda minent,” said Inspector the 17th, last month. Just
major casualties or dam- storm ravaged some of the and Anguilla. Frankie Thomas of the Roy- turned 2,” she repeated.
age by mid-afternoon after world’s most exclusive trop- Irma smashed homes, al Police Force of Antigua Her first task, she said, would
Irma rolled north of the Ca- ical playgrounds, known shops, roads and schools; and Barbuda. On Barbuda, be organize his funeral.
ribbean’s biggest islands. for their turquoise waters knocked out power, wa- a coral island rising a mere “That’s all I can do. There is
But many others residents and lush green vegetation. ter and telephone service; 125 feet (38 meters) above nothing else I can do.”q