Florida Keys Officials Ask Visitors To Leave The Keys If They Can Ahead Of Hurricane Dorian
FLORIDA KEYS (CBSMiami/Florida Keys News Bureau) -- Officials in the Florida Keys are asking visitors to calmly leave the island chain if they have the means to do so. This is over concerns about potential Hurricane Dorian interruptions to deliveries of fuel, supplies and other goods and services to the Keys from the mainland.
Officials said they are currently NOT ordering a mandatory visitor evacuation and lodging properties can remain open.
Currently, the most significant concern is potential flooding in low-lying areas in the Upper Keys including the 18-Mile Stretch of U.S. 1, officials said. Some business parking lots have had flooding issues during past tropical weather events.
Those who can't travel out of the Keys should discuss the situation with their lodging property's front desk to determine if the facility can safely provide accommodations as well as food, water and other basic necessities.
Visitors can also choose to find another property, even if it's in another region of the Keys. Most major properties in the island chain have availability, according to Keys tourism officials.
According to Jon Rizzo, the warning coordination meteorologist at the Florida Keys National Weather Service, the current probabilities for tropical storm-force winds, ranging from 39 mph to 73 mph, are the following: Key Largo, 71 percent; Marathon, 61 percent and Key West, 49 percent. Current projections indicate that tropical storm-force winds may begin affecting the Upper Keys around midday Sunday.
Rizzo said the probabilities for hurricane-force winds, beginning at 74 mph, are considerably less including 19 percent for Key Largo, 13 percent for Marathon and 8 percent for Key West.
Information on Keys lodging can be found at fla-keys.com/places-to-stay.
In addition, Visit Florida has partnered with Expedia on an emergency accommodations module. The website is at expedia.com/florida. However, guests should be advised that according to the National Hurricane Center, nearly the entire state of Florida has some level of risk from Dorian.
Guests who choose to stay in the Keys should be aware that weather conditions are likely to deteriorate Sunday and may remain that way through Wednesday, given the latest forecast. And there may be interruptions of power and communications, as well as normal tourism activities, including transportation.
Visitors should make decisions where to go based on their comfort levels, officials said.
Travelers with immediate or near-term plans to visit the Keys are encouraged to postpone their plans and check with hotels and airlines to discuss any needed changes due to weather. It is advised not to consider traveling to the Keys, until Dorian is well away from the area and normal tourism services resume.
The Florida Keys website at fla-keys.com will have updates regarding the status of visitor facilities after the storm is no longer a threat to Florida.
(©2019 CBS Local Media. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Florida Keys News Bureau contributed to this report.)
