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. Areas of Monroe, Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade went under mandatory evacuation orders yesterday, putting tens of thousands of cars on the road. Late Thursday, the National Hurricane Center issued the first hurricane warning for the Keys and parts of South Florida, including some of the Miami metropolitan area of 6 million people. It added a storm surge warning and extended watch areas along the east and west coasts. At least 31,000 people fled the Florida Keys, which could begin seeing wind and rain from Irma as early as tonight. Not helping matters for Florida evacuees trying to get up Interstate 95, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal ordered evacuations for all areas east of Interstate 95, including the city of Savannah.
