Irma evacuation order expanded to Miami
Florida evacuation orders have been widened to include Miami Beach and other low-lying parts of Miami-Dade as Hurricane Irma approaches.
Evacuation in the Florida Keys was already underway as Florida’s governor Rick Scott warned that Irma would be ‘bigger, faster and stronger’ than Hurricane Andrew, which devastated the Sunshine State 25 years ago.
Hotels have closed and are canceling forward reservations until the middle of next week.
The latest evacuation orders cover other tourist hotspots such as Bal Harbour, Bay Harbor Islands, and Key Biscayne and affects more than 100,000 residents.
Mobile home dwellers across Miami-Dade have been ordered to leave too.
Highway tolls have been waived across the State to help people travel more quickly.
"This is serious and we cannot take chances," warned Scott in a press conference. "Every Floridian should take this seriously."
Mandatory evacuation orders have also been issued in Monroe Counties and voluntary evacuation orders have been issued in Broward and Collier Counties.
Additional orders are expected as the storm nears the state.
Visit Florida has posted advice for tourists on its website and, through its partnership with Expedia, has activated a special page to help visitors, residents and first responders find accommodation.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
In Italy, the Meloni government congratulates itself for its tourism achievements
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive