Traffic nightmare as 500K people told to leave South FloridaMIAMI (September 8, 2017) — The race to flee Hurricane Irma became a marathon nightmare as more than a half-million people were ordered to leave South Florida on Thursday.
Mari and Neal Michaud loaded their two children and dog into their small sport-utility vehicle and left their home near Cocoa Beach about 10 a.m., bound for an impromptu vacation in Washington, D.C. Using a phone app and calls to search for fuel along the way, they finally arrived at a convenience store that had gasoline nearly
five hours later.
The 60-mile trip up Interstate 95
should have taken an hour, Mari Michaud said.
“There was
no gas and it’s gridlock.
People are stranded on the sides of the highway,” she said. “It’s 92 degrees out and little kids are out on the grass on the side of the road. No one can help them.”
At least
31,000 people fled the Florida Keys, which could begin seeing wind and rain from Irma as early as Friday night, Gov. Rick Scott said. He noted the size of the powerful Category 5 storm, and told residents not to become complacent.
https://www.onenewsnow.com/ap/united-states/traffic-nightmare-as-500k-people-told-to-leave-south-florida
