Floridians Evacuate, But One Massachusetts Man Flew In
MIAMI (CBS) -- South Florida is preparing for Hurricane Irma and the storm could hit the coast as early as Friday night.
To prepare, popular Ocean Drive in Miami Beach is boarded up and empty. Thousands of people on the barrier islands are under mandatory evacuation, and southern governors are telling their residents to get out.
"Florida will have major hurricane impact with deadly storm surge and life-threatening winds," Florida Governor Rick Scott said.
But not everyone is leaving and Marblehead, Massachusetts resident Richard Haley flew in Thursday. He says he flew to south Florida to check on his south Florida property.
"I came down because I thought I really had to. We have a boat down here and I've got to get it out of the slip and spider web it in the channel of the marina," Haley said.
Others are staying because they have no place to go. Javonna Bracely says they've boarded up their windows.
"As of now we boarded up the windows. We came down here to get some sand because other places aren't selling them," Bracely said. "So we came to what some to put along the house."
One other person named Mike says the gas lines aren't as long as they were earlier Thursday.
"Gas is still a hot commodity here in south Florida people are filling up wherever they can the lines are still spilling out onto the roadways, but tell me the lines aren't as bad as even just a couple of hours ago," Mike said.
Rami Ovadia of Hollywood, Florida says the same thing.
"It seems to be that the companies getting replenished on a faster basis seem to be so it's good," Ovadia said.
"We have cases of water and a portable grill."
The White family has lived in Fort Lauderdale for decades and this is the first time they've evacuated. They went to the super market six times Thursday to prepare for the drive north.
"It's taken us three days to get the water we needed but they keep restocking," Linda White said.
"They're out of a lot of stuff the shelves are empty on some of the stuff," her husband said.
The Governor has closed the schools across the state starting from tomorrow until Monday.