Floyd Frightens Floridians

Mandatory evacuations due to Hurricane Floyd drove many of northern Florida's coastal and inland residents out of their homes, reports CBS.com Producer Lee Kaplan in Jacksonville, Fla.

Traffic leaving the area was bumper-to-bumper and backed up for miles on Interstate 95 headed north and Interstate 10 headed west, away from the coast.

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Public and private schools - closed Tuesday and Wednesday - were converted into emergency centers.

Mandarin Middle School has been converted into an evacuation center.

Pugh said a local pizza shop had donated 50 pies and Krispy Kreme had donated 24 dozen donuts to the emergency center. He also said the school cafeteria was already stocked with enough food - including cold cuts, fruit and coffee - to feed the hundreds of people at the center.

Pugh estimated there may be up to 900 people at the Mandarin emergency center alone by the time the hurricaneÂ's rain and winds arrive. He said he and his volunteer staff will maintain constant care for everyone at the center.

Â"WeÂ'll be here Â'til itÂ's over,Â" Pugh said.

Atlantic Beach, Fla. resident Tim Benson said he and his brother arrived to the Mandarin emergency center early in the morning - hours before the masses swamped the building.

Sign outside a Jacksonville hardware store.

Meanwhile, others chose to remain in their homes and ride out the storm. Cars and trucks lined parking lots at most area hardware stores, where the demand for plywood, duct tape and other hurricane materials outlasted the supply.

Local residenSylvester Amaral, who moved to Jacksonville from Boston two years ago, said heÂ's not taking any chances with a storm as powerful as Floyd.

Â"IÂ'm more concerned about flying debris than anything else,Â"Amaral said. Â"I donÂ't think [people] really understand whatÂ's coming.Â"

By Lee Kaplan