At least 1.3 million Florida residents are under mandatory evacuation ahead of Hurricane Irma, which is slated to strike the state as a Category 4 storm on Sunday morning.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who declared a statewide emergency earlier this week, said additional evacuations are expected to be issued as Hurricane Irma approaches the state. Scott urged all Floridians to heed local alerts and follow the directions of local officials.
“If you’re told to evacuate, leave, get out quickly,” the governor said at a press conference Friday morning. “This storm is wider than our entire state.”
Scott said people can expect major traffic in Florida as residents and visitors adhere to evacuation orders.
“Please be patient,” he said. “Evacuations are not convenient but they are absolutely meant to keep you safe.”
“I cannot stress this enough — do not ignore evacuation orders,” Scott added. “We can rebuild your home; we can’t rebuild your life.”
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