A hurricane watch was issued Thursday morning as Irma, a Category 5 storm with 175-mph winds edged closer to South Florida, as preparations for the storm have already left some of the state's gas stations dry, a crisis which the governor said has become a "top priority."

Florida Gov. Rick Scott said at a news conference he will be talking with fuel distributors later in the day about the concerns.

"I have been very clear to the retailers," Scott said. "We have to get the fuel as fast as we can out so people can evacuate."

The governor is asking the federal government, including the Environmental Protection Agency and White House, to waive restrictions to get as much fuel to Florida as possible before Irma nears.

"We know fuel is very important, and we are devoting every state resource to this," Scott said. "I know this has to be very frustrating, and we won't stop working on this."

Once fuel arrives in Florida, Scott said another priority is to make sure it gets to gas stations. Officials plan to have escort services using police to get gas trucks to and from ports to stations.

Scott also recommended people use the GasBuddy app to find what stations still have gas, and that people should "only take the fuel you need."

Hurricane Irma is located about 75 miles south east of Grand Turk Island in the Turks and Caicos, the National Hurricane Center said in its 11 a.m. ET advisory. The storm is headed west-northwest at 16 mph with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph, according to the NHC.

Miami-Dade, Broward, and Monroe counties are all now under a hurricane watch, which is issued 48 hours in advance by the National Hurricane Center. The watch means hurricane conditions will be possible within the next two days in the specified area, and residents should prepare accordingly.

The National Hurricane Center said hurricane-force winds extended 50 miles from Irma’s center and tropical storm-force winds extended 175 miles. Irma has killed at least 13 people as it has tore through the Caribbean.

Even as current models show the storm going along Florida's East Coast, Scott said the state's West Coast will still have hurricane conditions.

"Look at the size of this storm," Scott said. "It's huge."

"Regardless of which coast you live on, be prepared to evacuate," he said.

"The computer models don't know quite yet what to do," Fox News Senior Meteorologist Janice Dean said Thursday. "Does a trough pick up the storm? What is the timing on the trough?"

Dean said there is "very good agreement" by Saturday and Sunday, and coming "too close to comfort" for the Florida Keys.

Irma will also have impacts beyond South Florida, according to Dean, as the storm may track north along the Georgia and South Carolina coasts.

"Do not let your guard down if you live across the Southeast coast," she said.

As Irma continues to barrel toward South Florida, residents in parts of the Miami metro area are under mandatory orders to leave their homes.

Mayors in Miami-Dade and Broward counties issued mandatory evacuation orders for barrier islands and low-lying mainland areas in the metro area of 6 million.

Officials in Miami-Dade County opened four additional shelters, including pet-friendly ones, for residents seeking safety from Irma.

An estimated 31,000 people left the Florida Keys as of 6 p.m. Wednesday, according to Scott, after all visitors were ordered to clear out, causing bumper-to-bumper traffic on the single highway that links the chain of low-lying islands to the mainland.

"It's just scary, you know? We want to get to higher ground. Never had a Cat 5, never experienced it," Michelle Reynolds told the Associated Press as she was leaving the Keys, where people filled gas cans and workers covered fuel pumps with "out of service" sleeves.

The Florida Highway Patrol said in a news release troopers are monitoring the high volume of traffic heading north on Florida's Turnpike as people evacuate South Florida.

Extra troopers, road rangers and wreckers will be on the roadways to help drivers whose vehicles have become disabled, according to the FHP.

The agency said disabled vehicles left on the shoulders of the highways would be towed starting Thursday morning to make it easier for emergency workers who are trying to reach crash victims.

Turnpike officials are also using cameras along the road to monitor conditions.

"Should we leave? A lot of people that I wouldn't expect to leave are leaving. So, it's like, 'Oh, wow!'" Martie McClain, 66, who lives in the South Florida town of Plantation, told the AP. Still, she was undecided about going and worried about getting stuck in traffic and running out of gas.

Further up Florida's coast, officials in Flagler County issued voluntary evacuations for coastal areas, while Brevard County in the Space Coast area issued a mandatory evacuation order for the barrier islands, Merritt Island and some mainland low-lying areas along the Indian River Lagoon

"Those who live in mobile or manufactured homes or in other flood-prone areas are also vulnerable and should evacuate whether on the mainland or the barrier islands," county spokesman Don Walker said.

In the Jacksonville, the city's mayor also issued a voluntary evacuation order issued for zones A & B, and urged those who can to leave early to avoid potential traffic issues.

Shifting forecasts have also raised the threat to the Southeast from Irma, prompting emergency declarations in the Carolinas and coastal Georgia, including areas that haven't suffered a direct hit from a major hurricane in more than a century.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>Hurricane Irma lashed Cuba as it roared toward Florida on Friday after hitting the eastern Caribbean with its devastatingly high winds, killing 21 people and leaving catastrophic destruction in its wake. Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century, was expected to hit Florida on Sunday morning, bringing massive damage from wind and flooding to the fourth-largest state by population. A historic evacuation, including from areas around Miami, has been made more difficult by clogged highways, gasoline shortages and the challenge of moving older people in the top retirement destination.

The storm could regain strength and hit the Florida Keys as a Category 5 hurricane, the most powerful designation by the National Hurricane Center, with sustained winds of 160 miles per hour (258 km per hour). The United States has experienced only three Category 5 storms since 1851, and Irma is far larger than the last one to hit the United States in 1992, Hurricane Andrew, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“We are running out of time. If you are in an evacuation zone, you need to go now. This is a catastrophic storm like our state has never seen,” Governor Rick Scott told reporters, adding that the storm’s effects would be felt from coast to coast in the state. A total of 5.6 million people, or 25 percent of the state’s population, was ordered to evacuate Florida, the Associated Press reported, citing Andrew Sussman, the state’s hurricane program manager.

US President Donald Trump said in a videotaped statement that Irma was “a storm of absolutely historic destructive potential” and called on people to heed recommendations from government officials and law enforcement. In Palm Beach, Trump’s waterfront Mar-a-Lago estate was ordered evacuated.

Irma, currently a Category 4 storm with winds of 155 mph (250 kph), was about 315 miles (510 km) southeast of Miami, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its latest advisory. After passing the Bahamas earlier in the day, Irma periodically drenched Cuba with rain and wind from the outer edge of the storm. Irma was forecast to bring dangerous storm surges of up to 20 feet (6 meters) to the southeastern and central Bahamas and up to 10 feet (3 meters) on parts of Cuba’s northern coast.

Cuba’s Communist government has traditionally made rigorous preparations when the island is threatened by storms, and the country was at a near standstill as Irma began to drive up the northern coast from east to west. Irma was forecast to move closer to land as it passed the center of Cuba later in the day and on Saturday, when it could seriously damage resorts on vulnerable keys. Tourists, and even the dolphins that entertain them, were evacuated. The storm was then predicted to veer north, sparing western Cuba and Havana.

In the Cuban fishing town of Caibarien, residents secured their roofs and moved belongings from low-lying coastal areas to houses higher up inland as the skies clouded over. Most said they were worried but well prepared. Residents in the central province of Camaguey hunkered down on Friday night for the arrival of the storm. “There are really strong gusts of wind. It is pouring off and on, and the lights are out,” Anaida Gonzalez, a retired nurse, said by telephone.

Irma was set to hit the United States two weeks after Hurricane Harvey struck Texas, killing about 60 people and causing property damage estimated at up to $180 billion in Texas and Louisiana. Officials were preparing a massive response, the head of FEMA said. About 9 million people in Florida may lose power, some for weeks, said Florida Power & Light Co, the biggest power company in Florida serving almost half of the state’s 20.6 million residents.

Amid the exodus, nearly one-third of all gas stations in Florida’s metropolitan areas were out of gasoline, with scattered outages in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, according to Gasbuddy.com, a retail fuel price tracking service. In Miami-Dade County alone, Mayor Carlos Gimenez said authorities had asked about 660,000 residents to evacuate, adding that this was the largest evacuation he could remember in the county.

Supermarkets in Miami were full of shoppers picking up last-minute supplies and food, and long lines of cars wrapped around the few gas stations still open. People seeking shelter recalled Hurricane Andrew in 1992 as they braced for Irma. A shelter in southwest Miami filled to capacity just hours after it opened its doors. People packed into a gymnasium were thinking about the past while worrying about the future.

“I’m scared because it is bigger than Andrew,” said Ann Samuels, 49, as she arrived to the Robert Morgan Education Center. On the short trip from her home she said her mind went back to 1992 when Hurricane Andrew forced her and her two young children and eight others into a closet. “They say to not stress and not worry, but how can you not?” she added.

Steve Ortega, 29, decided to go home after peeking into the packed shelter. He was 5 years old when Andrew damaged his home. “I will never forget the noise. That … was the scariest thing I ever heard in my life,” adding he was worried but optimistic his home would remain standing through Irma. Mandatory evacuations on Georgia’s Atlantic coast and some of South Carolina’s barrier islands were due to begin on Saturday. Virginia was under a state of emergency.

The governors of North and South Carolina warned residents to remain on guard even as the storm took a more westward track, saying their states still could experience severe weather, including heavy rain and flash flooding, early next week. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 ended slightly lower as investors braced for potential damage from Irma as it moved toward Florida. Many economists are predicting that third-quarter gross domestic product will take a hit due to the hurricanes.

As it roared in from the east, Irma ravaged small islands in the northeastern Caribbean, including Barbuda, St. Martin and the British and US Virgin Islands, flattening homes and hospitals and ripping down trees. Even as they came to grips with the massive destruction, residents of the islands hit hardest by Irma faced the threat of another major storm, Hurricane Jose. Jose, expected to reach the northeastern Caribbean on Saturday, was an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm, with winds of up to 150 mph (240 kph), the NHC said on Friday.

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App</s>The largest evacuation in US history is underway as millions of people across the Southeast brace for the life-threatening impacts of Irma.

A state of emergency has been declared in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia ahead of the arrival of Irma to prepare for the storm.

“Irma is only one of five known hurricanes during the satellite era to have reached sustained winds of 185 mph or higher,” said AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski.

The first evacuations were issued on Wednesday in the Florida Keys, but more followed across the state on Thursday and Friday. At least 5.6 million people have been asked to evacuate which is more than 25 percent of the state’s population.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott has suspended tolls across the state’s highways to expedite the evacuation and supply-gathering process for residents. Additionally, all schools and government offices are closed in Florida on Monday.

The islands of Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin and Anguilla in the northern Leeward Islands took a direct hit from Irma on Wednesday morning. Irma’s 150 mph-plus winds and at least 12-foot storm surge caused catastrophic damage.

So far, Irma has killed at least 20 people in the Caribbean, the AP reported. Another person was killed in Florida after falling 15 feet while putting up storm shutters.

Click here to see previous reports of how Florida is preparing for Irma.

11:00 p.m. EDT Friday: Irma has made landfall in central Cuba as a Category 5 hurricane. It has maximum sustained winds of 160 mph.

10:40 p.m. EDT Friday: The power is reportedly out in Caibarién and other towns along Cuba’s northern coast.

Two of Florida’s power plants say there are prepared for Irma’s coming wrath. Florida Power and Light control both in St. Lucie and Turkey Point. The president of FPL says there are some of the “the strongest structures in the world,” encased in six feet of cement and reinforced in steel.

9:30 p.m. EDT Friday: The eye of Hurricane Irma is nearing the coast of Cuba with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph. This makes it a strong Category 4 hurricane, just shy of Category 5 status.

Meanwhile, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has issued a state of emergency, becoming the sixth state to do so ahead of Irma’s arrival in the United States.

7:40 p.m. EDT Friday: Officials have ordered 5.6 million people to evacuate Florida ahead of Hurricane Irma, according to the Associated Press. This is more than 25 percent of the state’s population.

This is now the largest evacuation in United States history, more than Hurricane Rita in 2005 when 3.7 million people were told to evacuate.

Some highways around Miami had very little traffic throughout the day as many people have evacuated the city.

5:45 p.m EDT Friday: The National Weather Service in Key West is warning residents of the Florida Keys that the time to evacuate is quickly running out.

“Catastrophic, life-threatening wind and storm surge impacts are expected in the Florida Keys Saturday night and Sunday. Nowhere in the Florida Keys will be safe,” the NWS Office said.

Meanwhile, the state of emergency has been expanded in Georgia to include 94 of Georgia’s 159 counties.

3:34 p.m. EDT Friday: Florida Gov. Rick Scott is not only worried about wind speed and rain, he is emphasizing the dangers of storm surge.

Walt Disney World will close early on Saturday evening and stay closed on Sunday and Monday.

Universal Orlando will close at 7 p.m. on Saturday and remain on closed Sunday and Monday.

Sea World Orlando will also close early on Saturday and stay closed on Sunday and Monday.

2:58 p.m. EDT Friday: South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said in a press conference on Friday afternoon that he’s holding off on deciding whether to evacuate the state’s coast.

McMaster said he will wait for the National Hurricane Center’s 5 p.m. advisory before announcing his decision, but that state officials are prepared to evacuate if need be.

“Until we say otherwise, coastal residents should plan on evacuating Saturday at 10 a.m.,” he said. “That may change at 6 o’clock this evening.”

For some counties, McMaster rescinded part of an executive order that required medical facilities to evacuate.</s></s>Hurricane Irma is still a couple days away from reaching the U.S. coast. Currently a Category 5 packing 175 mph winds, forecasters fairly confident it will be a 5 or no lower than a Category 4 by the time it reaches the U.S. coast. Although this far out no one can tell for certain where Irma will make landfall, many models are predicting the Florida will be straight within its sights. If it does make landfall in Florida, when will this happen?

Experts Disagree on if Irma Could Arrive in Florida by Saturday Evening or Sunday

There’s some disagreement among different models about Irma’s exact track, with some placing Irma at an immediate landfall on Miami and others having Irma skirt the east coast instead.

The most recent advisory from the National Hurricane Center, at 2 p.m., puts Irma’s location at 20.7 N and 70.4 W, moving at the west-northwest at 16 mph. This motion is expected to continue, with some decrease in forward speed.

In general, the latest NHC advisory indicates that hurricane conditions will start being felt in the Florida area on Sunday, with tropical storm winds arriving much earlier.

According to the latest Irma advisory from the NHC (emphasis mine):

Areas currently within the hurricane watch include the Jupiter Inlet southward around the Florida peninsula to Bonita Beach, the Florida Keys, Lake Okeechobee, Florida Bay, and parts of Cuba. Hurricane warnings have not yet been extended to areas in Florida.

It’s important to note that even before the eye of the storm hits a location, that area will experience tropical storm and hurricane force winds much earlier. Hurricane-force winds extend up to 60 miles from Irma’s center and tropical storm force winds extend much farther than that.

Far before hurricane force winds will hit, there will be tropical storm force winds to contend with.

The Florida Keys will start feeling some of the effects of Irma on Saturday. The latest NHC advisory expects the lower Florida Keys to get 2 to 5 inches of rain from Irma through Saturday evening, and Southeast Florida through the upper Florida Keys will receive 8 to 12 inches of total rain through Saturday evening from Irma, possibly up to 20 inches in isolated areas.

And yes, Irma will still be a powerful hurricane when it reaches the U.S. coast. The NHC advises:

Jonathan Belles, a meteorologist at FSU Weather, posted on Facebook that the outer tropical storm force winds from Irma are expected to arrive in South Florida by late Saturday, Central Florida by late Sunday morning, North Florida by Sunday evening, and Georgia and the Carolinas by Monday:

Confidence is higher today that there will be impacts of a major hurricane somewhere between Florida and North Carolina. You’ll notice in the yellow spaghetti plots that a Florida landfall anywhere on the peninsula, east coast or west coast, is possible. It is also very possible that a landfall in Florida may not happen at all! Nailing down that exact landfall point and ground zero is still not possible, and as we saw with Matthew’s parallel track with Florida last year, it may not be possible even 12 hours later.”

But, he added, storm surges will be a problem even before the center of Irma arrives. Because Miami and Charleston flood on a regular basis, even with monthly tides, flooding is a real concern in those areas and the reason that people evacuate, he said.

As Steve McCauley, a respected meteorologist with WFAA shared on Facebook, whether the storm hits Florida directly or not, it will be an unpleasant time for Florida.</s>Over five million people, including thousands of Indian-Americans, have been asked to evacuate from parts of coastal Florida after Hurricane Irma, an extremely powerful Category 5 storm, barrelled towards the state after wrecking havoc on the Caribbean islands.

Irma is expected to landfall in Florida tomorrow, which at its current trend officials said, is likely to cause devastation across Florida and surrounding areas.

Authorities in Florida have ordered 5.6 million people – a quarter of the state's population – to evacuate, warning that those who do not leave cannot expect rescue services to reach them once Irma hits.

"It is not a question of if Florida is going to be impacted, it is a question of how bad Florida's going to be impacted," said Brock Long, head of Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Hurricane Irma continues to be a threat that is going to devastate the United States, and either Florida or some of the southeastern states. This is a complex forecast. Anybody from Alabama to North Carolina should be watching this storm very closely, Long said.

Florida is also home to thousands of Indian-Americans.

In addition to thousands of federal employees, several thousand-military personals have been deployed by the Department of Defence to meet any eventuality in the aftermath of Irma hitting the coast of Florida.

"We need the people to listen to their local officials. But when we see evacuations taking place, what we try to do is break down the number that are going to need mass care support, and some of those numbers are well over 100,000 people in shelters for this event," Long said.

US President Donald Trump received a briefing on Hurricane Irma today. He "was given an overview of the recent impact of the hurricane on the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and neighbouring islands and the ongoing response efforts of the Federal and territorial governments," the White House said. A State of emergency has been declared in Florida.

Earlier in the day, Trump signed a legislation that provides an additional USD 15.25 billion in emergency appropriations for disaster relief and extends the authorisation of the National Flood Insurance Programme through December 8.

"Additionally, as the damage from Hurricane Irma unfolds, it is especially important that the men and women in the Southeast and our Caribbean territories stand strong and rest assured that this Administration will always put the needs of the American people above partisan politics as usual," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement.

Sanders said Trump is constantly monitoring Hurricane Irma, and the federal government is working closely with state and local partners to ensure the safety of the coastal communities.

In his weekly address to the nation, Trump noted that this is a storm of historic destructive potential, and he's asking that everyone in the storm's path to remain vigilant and pay heed all recommendations from government officials and law enforcement.

"Our message to the American people is this: With gratitude for our first responders, and prayers for those in the storm's path, we are behind you 100 per cent," she said.</s>MIAMI, FL - SEPTEMBER 08: Flagler street in the heart of downtown is empty as people boarded up their business and now await the arrival of Hurricane Irma on September 8, 2017 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

MIAMI BEACH, FL - SEPTEMBER 08: Erick Amador and his dog, Barry, check out the beach as people prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Irma on September 8, 2017 in Miami Beach, Florida.(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

MERRITT ISLAND, FL - SEPTEMBER 07: Inmate trustees from the Brevard County Jail work to fill and load sandbags for residents as people in the area prepare ahead of Hurricane Irma.(Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)

FORT STEWART, GA - SEPTEMBER 8: In this U.S. Army handout, Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, prepare for Hurricane Irma. (Photo by Regan Riggs/U.S. Army via Getty Images

YEMASSEE, SC - SEPTEMBER 08: A convoy of utility repair trucks heads south on I-95 in anticipation of the arrival of Hurricane Irma. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

FORT MYERS, FL - SEPTEMBER 08: Junior Lopez and his uncle Jose Lopez work to install plywood over the windows of a restaurant as residents and visitors secure property and evacuate the area ahead of Hurricane Irma.(Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)

FORT MYERS, FL - SEPTEMBER 08: Local residents fill sandbags as they prepare their homes ahead of Hurricane Irma on September 08, 2017 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)

ISLAMORADA, FL - SEPTEMBER 08: The Islamorada Brewing Company sits vacant and boarded up in the Florida Keys on September 8, 2017 in Islamorada, Florida. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)

- Irma trained its sights on Florida and officials warned more than 5 million people that time was running out Friday to evacuate ahead of the deadly hurricane as it followed a path that could take it from one end of the state to the other.

By early evening, Irma was a slightly weakened Category 4 storm with winds of 155 mph (250 kph) and forecasters said it could be back up to Category 5 when it comes ashore near Key West on Sunday morning.

Forecasters adjusted the storm's potential track more toward the west coast of Florida, away from the Miami metropolitan area of 6 million people, meaning "a less costly, a less deadly storm," University of Miami researcher Brian McNoldy said.

Nevertheless, forecasters warned that its hurricane-force winds were so wide they could reach from coast to coast, testing the nation's third-largest state, which has undergone rapid development and more stringent hurricane-proof building codes in the last decade or so.

"This is a storm that will kill you if you don't get out of the way," National Hurricane Center meteorologist Dennis Feltgen said. "Everybody's going to feel this one."

Irma killed at least 20 people in the Caribbean and left thousands homeless as it devastated small resort islands known for their warm, turquoise water.

In Florida, gas shortages and gridlock plagued the evacuations, turning normally simple trips into tests of will. Parts of interstates 75 and 95 north were bumper-to-bumper, while very few cars drove on the southbound lanes.

"We're getting out of this state," said Manny Zuniga, who left his home in Miami at midnight Thursday to avoid the gridlock. "Irma is going to take all of Florida."

Despite driving overnight, he still took 12 hours to reach Orlando -- a trip that normally takes four hours. From there, he and his wife, two children, two dogs and a ferret were headed to Arkansas.

About 5.6 million people in Florida -- more than one quarter of the state's population -- were ordered to evacuate and another 540,000 were told to leave the Georgia coast. Authorities opened hundreds of shelters for people who did not leave. Hotels as far away as Atlanta filled up with evacuees.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott said people fleeing could drive slowly in the shoulder lane on highways. He hasn't reversed the southbound lanes because he said they were needed to deliver gas and supplies.

"If you are planning to leave and do not leave tonight, you will have to ride out this extremely dangerous storm at your own risk," Scott said.

Tony Marcellus racked his brain to figure out a way to get his 67-year-old mother and 85-year-old grandfather out of their home five blocks from the ocean in West Palm Beach. He lives 600 miles away in Atlanta. He checked flights but found nothing and rental cars were sold out, so he settled on a modern method of evacuation.

He hired an Uber to pick them up and drive them 170 miles to Orlando, where he met them to take them to Atlanta. He gave the driver a nice tip.

"I have peace of mind now," said Marcellus' mother, Celine Jean. "I've been worried sick for days."

Several small, poor communities around Lake Okeechobee in the south-central part of Florida were added to the evacuation list because the lake may overflow -- but the governor said engineers expect the protective dike to hold up. Many people in the area said they wouldn't leave because they either had no transportation or nowhere to go.

Disney World parks will close early Saturday and remain shuttered through Monday, as will Universal Orlando and Sea World.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said he planned for enough space to hold 100,000 people before the storm arrives, although most shelters were only beginning to fill on Friday.

Hurricane Andrew in 1992 revealed how lax building codes had become in the country's most storm-prone state, and Florida began requiring sturdier construction. Now, experts say a monstrously strong Irma could become the most serious test of Florida's storm-worthiness since then.

Andrew razed Miami's suburbs with winds topping 165 mph (265 kph), damaging or blowing apart over 125,000 homes. Almost all mobile homes in its path were obliterated. The damage totaled $26 billion in Florida's most-populous areas. At least 40 people were killed in Florida.

CoreLogic, a consultant to insurers, estimated that nearly 8.5 million Florida homes or commercial properties were at extreme, very high or high risk of wind damage from Irma.

Police in the Fort Lauderdale suburb of Davie said a 57-year-old man who had been hired to install hurricane shutters Thursday morning died after falling about 15 feet (5 meters) from a ladder and hitting his head on a pool deck. The man's name wasn't immediately released.

Forecasters predicted a storm surge of 6 to 12 feet above ground level along Florida's southwest coast and in the Keys. As much as a foot of rain could fall across the state, with isolated spots receiving 20 inches.

With winds that peaked at 185 mph (300 kph), Irma was once the most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the open Atlantic.

Galofaro reported from Orlando. Associated Press writers Seth Borenstein in Washington; Gary Fineout in Tallahassee, Terrance Harris in Orlando and David Fischer in Miami contributed to this report.</s>MIAMI — Floridians began a mass exodus on Thursday as Hurricane Irma, the powerful Category 4 storm, plowed through the Caribbean toward the Sunshine State.

Track the hurricane with the WNEP interactive hurricane tracker here.

 Get a live look at Hurricane Irma with webcams from Earthcam here.



Thousands of cars headed north, causing interstate backups and slowdowns. Drivers waited for hours at gas stations, some of which ran out of fuel. Travelers stood in line for hours at airports.

Based on Irma’s projected path, which includes Florida’s heavily populated eastern coast, the enormous storm could create one of the largest mass evacuations in US history, CNN senior meteorologist Dave Hennen said. Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties combined have about 6 million people.

People should get out now, Gov. Rick Scott warned at a Thursday news conference. If they wait until Saturday or Sunday, when high winds and rain are expected to lash south Florida, it will be too late.

“We cannot save you when the storm starts,” Scott said. “So if you are in an evacuation zone and you need help, you need to tell us now.”

The National Hurricane Center issued hurricane and storm surge warnings for South Florida on Thursday night.

“You do not want to leave on Saturday, driving through Florida with tropical storm force winds,” CNN meteorologist Tom Sater said. He said the latest Floridians should evacuate is Friday morning.

Roseanne Lesack, her husband and three children were among the evacuees.

They left Boca Raton on Wednesday and headed to Atlanta to stay with friends, she said. After encountering slow traffic, the family spent the night at a motel in Orlando and continued north Thursday morning, Lesack said.

“What should have been another six or seven-hour travel experience is coming up on 12 hours,” she said Thursday night while about 35 miles south of Atlanta. “It has been slow. Right now we’re going about 20 mph. … It’s just three lanes of red bumper lights.”

Last year, the family stayed with friends in Florida and rode out Hurricane Matthew, she said. Lesack is glad they decided not to chance it this year.

“Now there are a lot of people who are really nervous about staying but don’t feel like they can get out,” Lesack said.

In Florida, mandatory evacuations orders included parts of Miami-Dade County, Broward County east of US 1, Palm Beach County, low-lying parts of Brevard County, and Monroe County, home to the Florida Keys. More than 30,000 people evacuated Monroe County alone, Scott said.

Monroe County Administrator Roman Gastesi stressed to residents in the Keys they need to heed the evacuation order and leave.

All hospitals would be closed and ambulances gone as of Friday morning, including air ambulances, he said.

“You might as well leave now, while you have a chance, because when you dial 911 — you will not get an answer,” he said.

The Florida Department of Transportation released traffic counts showing extremely heavy traffic on Thursday, such as 4,000 vehicles on I-75 northbound in Lake City, compared to a norm of 1,000. About 1,800 vehicles traveled on I-75 in Collier County, compared to a norm of 600. Other roads showed smaller increases.

Though nobody knows exactly where Irma will make landfall, the governors of Georgia and South Carolina decided not to take any chances. They ordered mandatory evacuations of low-lying coastal areas around Savannah and Charleston.

Other eastern Florida population centers could also see similar evacuations soon, depending on the path of the hurricane, which is expected to near Miami on Sunday.

“Look at the size of this storm,” Scott said Thursday. “It is wider than our entire state and could cause major and life-threatening impacts from coast to coast. Regardless of what coast you live on, be prepared to evacuate. Floridians on the west coast cannot be complacent.”

Fuel availability is a major problem. CNN’s Miguel Marquez said about half the gas stations were open in Miami.

At a Marathon gas station in Miami, a line of cars wrapped around the corner. Two police officers on duty kept drivers in line and police tape kept them from entering the station the wrong way. Drivers had to wait at least an hour for fuel.

In a news release, Scott said he’s taking steps to have more fuel delivered. Contractors have come up with 1.5 million gallons to deliver so far, he said. State police will escort fuel trucks heading to gas stations on evacuation routes.

About 300,000 barrels of fuel were being unloaded from a ship in Tampa to resupply gas stations. A fuel ship from Mississippi was heading to the Port of Tampa and will be given a military escort, he said.

Scott also said he is suspending toll collections for the duration of the storm.

One issue with a mass evacuation is that Florida relies on two primary highways that go north and south: I-95 along the east coast and I-75 further west. Those highways, as well as the Florida Turnpike, US-27 and other smaller roads that run north, will be “tremendously” clogged if the storm hits, Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida said.

“If this monster comes right up the peninsula of Florida, you’re gonna have a mass out-migration from the south to the north, and it’s gonna clog the roads something tremendously,” Nelson said. “Therefore, if you are going to evacuate, once the evacuation order is given, don’t wait around.”

An evacuation could lead to mileslong gridlock, as happened with attempted mass evacuations during Hurricane Floyd in 1999 and Hurricane Rita in 2005.

When Hurricane Harvey began threatening southeast Texas about two weeks ago, Houston officials decided not to issue voluntary or mandatory evacuations, partly because of memories of those problems.

Hurricane Irma’s cone of potential landfall currently includes the entire state of Florida, meaning that residents may not be able to flee to the state’s Gulf Coast to avoid its wrath. Going north is the best choice.

Florida is relatively narrow. Fort Lauderdale on the east coast and Naples on the west coast are separated by just over 100 miles. Even in the central part of the state, only 130 miles separate Clearwater on the west coast from Melbourne on the east coast.

For comparison, tropical storm-force winds from Irma cover over 65,000 square miles — about the size of the entire state.

Major evacuations have created significant problems in the past when millions of residents took the roads at the same time.

Florida saw this in 1999 during Hurricane Floyd. The storm was headed toward Jacksonville, in the northeast corner of the state, and officials there ordered evacuations. The storm ultimately turned farther north and made landfall in North Carolina.

In all, about 3 million people across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina attempted to evacuate, making it the largest evacuation effort in US history, according to a FEMA press release from 2000.

Many of those evacuees became stuck in gridlock in what FEMA charitably described as a “frustrating effort.”

Mindful of past problems with mass evacuations, Houston officials last month told residents to hunker down in their homes until Hurricane Harvey passed. As the city flooded and residents became trapped in their waterlogged homes, Houston mayor Sylvester Turner defended his decision not to evacuate.

The alternative, he said, could have been worse.

“You literally cannot put 6.5 million people on the road,” Turner said last week. “If you think the situation right now is bad, you give an order to evacuate, you are creating a nightmare.”

Houston experienced that firsthand during Hurricane Rita in 2005, when officials issued mass evacuation orders.

During that evacuation, a bus carrying elderly evacuees caught fire and exploded, killing at least 24 people and jamming a major evacuation route. Others died during the evacuation due to heat exhaustion, according to the National Hurricane Center.

For Floridians who don’t want to risk chaos on the highways, a flight out is another option.

Delta Air Lines said it has added flights out of Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Key West to Atlanta, its largest hub. The airline also is allowing passengers affected by Irma to rebook flights without paying a fee.

American Airlines and United Airlines also said they are waiving change fees for passengers whose travel plans are impacted by Irma.

However, American Airlines said it will wind down operations Friday afternoon at its Miami hub as well as other south Florida cities. Operations will be canceled throughout the weekend, the airline said.</s>Governor Rick Scott urged residents in the Florida Keys and visitors to evacuate as quickly as possible to escape killer storm Irma. The massive hurricane is expected to usher in chaos in coastal towns and areas such as the tourist hotspot of the Keys and the densely populated Miami. Mr Scott said: "If you're still in the Keys, get out now. We will quickly run out of good weather to evacuate.

"If you're in the Keys, leave now. Anywhere else in the state, if you're told to evacuate leave and get out quickly." The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in Washington have warned Florida residents to evacuate coastal areas as fears grow of life-threatening storm surges. FEMA said: “Nobody in Florida I know has ever experienced a Category 4 or 5 storm making landfall. "I can guarantee you I don’t know anybody in Florida has ever experienced what’s about to hit south Florida – they need to get out and heed the warnings.”

According to the latest Hurricane Irma path update from the NOAA National Hurricane Center (NHC), the storm is now Category 4 but remains “extremely dangerous”. The NHC has issued a hurricane and storm surge warning for all of south Florida and the Florida Keys. The NOAA added: "There is the danger of life-threatening storm surge inundation in southern Florida and the Florida Keys during the next 36 hours, where a Storm Surge Warning is in effect. "Irma is expected to produce very heavy rain and inland flooding. Total rain accumulations of 4 to 12 inches, with isolated amounts of 20 inches are expected over the Florida peninsula Saturday through Monday." The latest storm track map shows Hurricane Irma set to hit on Saturday night before tracking up towards Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina.</s>MIAMI, FL - SEPTEMBER 08: Flagler street in the heart of downtown is empty as people boarded up their business and now await the arrival of Hurricane Irma on September 8, 2017 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

MIAMI BEACH, FL - SEPTEMBER 08: Erick Amador and his dog, Barry, check out the beach as people prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Irma on September 8, 2017 in Miami Beach, Florida.(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

MERRITT ISLAND, FL - SEPTEMBER 07: Inmate trustees from the Brevard County Jail work to fill and load sandbags for residents as people in the area prepare ahead of Hurricane Irma.(Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)

FORT STEWART, GA - SEPTEMBER 8: In this U.S. Army handout, Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, prepare for Hurricane Irma. (Photo by Regan Riggs/U.S. Army via Getty Images

YEMASSEE, SC - SEPTEMBER 08: A convoy of utility repair trucks heads south on I-95 in anticipation of the arrival of Hurricane Irma. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

FORT MYERS, FL - SEPTEMBER 08: Junior Lopez and his uncle Jose Lopez work to install plywood over the windows of a restaurant as residents and visitors secure property and evacuate the area ahead of Hurricane Irma.(Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)

FORT MYERS, FL - SEPTEMBER 08: Local residents fill sandbags as they prepare their homes ahead of Hurricane Irma on September 08, 2017 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)

ISLAMORADA, FL - SEPTEMBER 08: The Islamorada Brewing Company sits vacant and boarded up in the Florida Keys on September 8, 2017 in Islamorada, Florida. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)

- Irma trained its sights on Florida and officials warned more than 5 million people that time was running out Friday to evacuate ahead of the deadly hurricane as it followed a path that could take it from one end of the state to the other.

By early evening, Irma was a slightly weakened Category 4 storm with winds of 155 mph (250 kph) and forecasters said it could be back up to Category 5 when it comes ashore near Key West on Sunday morning.

Forecasters adjusted the storm's potential track more toward the west coast of Florida, away from the Miami metropolitan area of 6 million people, meaning "a less costly, a less deadly storm," University of Miami researcher Brian McNoldy said.

Nevertheless, forecasters warned that its hurricane-force winds were so wide they could reach from coast to coast, testing the nation's third-largest state, which has undergone rapid development and more stringent hurricane-proof building codes in the last decade or so.

"This is a storm that will kill you if you don't get out of the way," National Hurricane Center meteorologist Dennis Feltgen said. "Everybody's going to feel this one."

Irma killed at least 20 people in the Caribbean and left thousands homeless as it devastated small resort islands known for their warm, turquoise water.

In Florida, gas shortages and gridlock plagued the evacuations, turning normally simple trips into tests of will. Parts of interstates 75 and 95 north were bumper-to-bumper, while very few cars drove on the southbound lanes.

"We're getting out of this state," said Manny Zuniga, who left his home in Miami at midnight Thursday to avoid the gridlock. "Irma is going to take all of Florida."

Despite driving overnight, he still took 12 hours to reach Orlando -- a trip that normally takes four hours. From there, he and his wife, two children, two dogs and a ferret were headed to Arkansas.

About 5.6 million people in Florida -- more than one quarter of the state's population -- were ordered to evacuate and another 540,000 were told to leave the Georgia coast. Authorities opened hundreds of shelters for people who did not leave. Hotels as far away as Atlanta filled up with evacuees.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott said people fleeing could drive slowly in the shoulder lane on highways. He hasn't reversed the southbound lanes because he said they were needed to deliver gas and supplies.

"If you are planning to leave and do not leave tonight, you will have to ride out this extremely dangerous storm at your own risk," Scott said.

Tony Marcellus racked his brain to figure out a way to get his 67-year-old mother and 85-year-old grandfather out of their home five blocks from the ocean in West Palm Beach. He lives 600 miles away in Atlanta. He checked flights but found nothing and rental cars were sold out, so he settled on a modern method of evacuation.

He hired an Uber to pick them up and drive them 170 miles to Orlando, where he met them to take them to Atlanta. He gave the driver a nice tip.

"I have peace of mind now," said Marcellus' mother, Celine Jean. "I've been worried sick for days."

Several small, poor communities around Lake Okeechobee in the south-central part of Florida were added to the evacuation list because the lake may overflow -- but the governor said engineers expect the protective dike to hold up. Many people in the area said they wouldn't leave because they either had no transportation or nowhere to go.

Disney World parks will close early Saturday and remain shuttered through Monday, as will Universal Orlando and Sea World.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said he planned for enough space to hold 100,000 people before the storm arrives, although most shelters were only beginning to fill on Friday.

Hurricane Andrew in 1992 revealed how lax building codes had become in the country's most storm-prone state, and Florida began requiring sturdier construction. Now, experts say a monstrously strong Irma could become the most serious test of Florida's storm-worthiness since then.

Andrew razed Miami's suburbs with winds topping 165 mph (265 kph), damaging or blowing apart over 125,000 homes. Almost all mobile homes in its path were obliterated. The damage totaled $26 billion in Florida's most-populous areas. At least 40 people were killed in Florida.

CoreLogic, a consultant to insurers, estimated that nearly 8.5 million Florida homes or commercial properties were at extreme, very high or high risk of wind damage from Irma.

Police in the Fort Lauderdale suburb of Davie said a 57-year-old man who had been hired to install hurricane shutters Thursday morning died after falling about 15 feet (5 meters) from a ladder and hitting his head on a pool deck. The man's name wasn't immediately released.

Forecasters predicted a storm surge of 6 to 12 feet above ground level along Florida's southwest coast and in the Keys. As much as a foot of rain could fall across the state, with isolated spots receiving 20 inches.

With winds that peaked at 185 mph (300 kph), Irma was once the most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the open Atlantic.

Galofaro reported from Orlando. Associated Press writers Seth Borenstein in Washington; Gary Fineout in Tallahassee, Terrance Harris in Orlando and David Fischer in Miami contributed to this report.
Approximately 5.6 million people in the U.S. states of Florida and South Carolina have been asked to evacuate.