More than 100,000 Miami-Dade residents were instructed to leave their homes on barrier islands, including Miami Beach, and in low-lying mainland areas starting Thursday morning in preparation for Hurricane Irma, as Mayor Carlos Gimenez issued his first evacuation orders for one of the worst storms to ever face Miami.
“Irma remains a strong Category 5 hurricane,” Gimenez said at a 7 p.m. news briefing in the county’s emergency center in Doral. “Significant weakening is not expected.” Read more.