Careful Evacuation measures before Hurricane Irma. Here are a few tips if you’re driving, flying or ….
If you are being evacuated, consider the following:
What to take
Collect and take with you, your family’s medical and property insurance papers, immunization records and medical records, IDs, passport and other important papers, prescriptions and supplies, if needed, and a few of your most cherished belongings. Get CASH. If you’re traveling to a different city, inform your credit card company bank to avoid further headaches.
Driving?
To ease evacuations and keep traffic flowing, tolls may be lifted to prevent grid lock, beginning at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Those planning to drive north should leave early, fill their gas tanks — before the storm — and expect heavy traffic on the expressways.
Flying out?
Be patient. Finding a flight out of Miami has been a challenge for most last-minute bookers, due to a surge in the number of passengers seeking flights and surge in flight prices. Fares have risen to nearly $2,000 for flights out of Miami to other U.S. destinations. Hopefully some airlines will do what’s right and not gouge.
Travelers should also closely monitor Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale International Airport for flight cancelations and reroutes. Reports indicate that Airports will close once sustained winds reach 55 miles per hour. As of Tuesday afternoon, American Airlines had canceled 35 flights to or from Miami.
Find a place to stay
Authorities recommend evacuees stay with family or friends outside of evacuation zones because finding accommodations can be difficult and pricey in such times.
Home sharing platform Airbnb is expected to activate its disaster relief program this week to provide free housing in Airbnb host residences across the state for evacuees. Airbnb.com said it has activated the program for previous natural disasters, including Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Harvey last month in Texas.
As a last resort, go to a shelter, albeit often crowded and uncomfortable; and usually do not allow pets.
Photo: Hurricane Irma brought howling winds and pelting rain to San Juan, P.R., on Wednesday. CreditAlvin Baez/Reuters