MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – A mandatory evacuation was ordered Thursday morning for 650,000 people, including downtown Miami and Miami Beach, the largest evacuation ever attempted by Miami-Dade County.
Businesses are boarded up, sand bags in place and many have already left. Storm Team 8 Meteorologist Ian Oliver spoke to one couple who never expected to be evacuating the city.
“We live in Houston. We got three feet of water in our house,” said Rui Sosa. “We’ve never had water in our house. Never. My daughter got five feet of water in her apartment! Then we said, hey what the heck – lets go on a cruise. We went on a cruise, they dropped us here early, dropped us here. We have nowhere to stay. Just found a hotel at the last minute and try to get out of here and our flight was cancelled!”
“So you guys literally live in Houston, endured Harvey, got on a cruise ship and now you’re stuck here?” asked Ian.
“Yup! Exactly. We could never believe it was going to happen that fast,” said Sosa.
Rui should probably buy a lottery ticket first thing when they get back to Houston.
He and his wife Monica were able to find a car to rent and now they plan on driving all the way back to southeast Texas to avoid this storm.
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HURRICANE IRMA COVERAGE –
- The latest on Hurricane Irma from Storm Team 8
- 2017 Hurricane Guide
- CHECKLIST: Disaster supply list for hurricane
- Where to get sandbags in the Tampa Bay area
- How to get water even if the stores are out
- Hurricane Irma: Local school districts to decide about closures
- The one thing you must do for your pet as Irma approaches
- Sarasota woman stranded in St. Maarten during Hurricane Irma
- Orlando Intl. Airport to end commercial flights Saturday because of Hurricane Irma
- Polk sheriff’s tweets for law breakers seeking shelter during Irma spark firestorm
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Miami Dolphins game moved to November 19
- Gov. Scott declares state of emergency in all Fla. counties in response to Hurricane Irma
- Gov. Scott encouraging Floridians to be prepared for hurricane
- AG Bondi activates Florida’s price gouging hotline in wake of declared state of emergency
- Bottled water, supplies going fast as Tampa Bay area prepares for possibility of Hurricane Irma
- Tampa Bay area residents need to get hurricane plans in place while skies still blue
BE HURRICANE-READY WITH STORM TEAM 8
