Irma forces mass evacuations along the Florida coast

A sign of the times as millions of Florida residents are fleeing inland in advance of Hurricane Irma. (USA Today Photo)

Over one million residents are heading inland along the Florida and Georgia coastlines in advance of deadly hurricane Irma. As of 8am Friday morning, Irma was located 450 miles (720km) southeast of Miami, moving west northwest at 16mph (26km/h). Irma has weakened slightly to a category 4 storm, with winds of 150mph (240km/h). Irma however remains a large and powerful hurricane capable of major damage. Residents of south Florida, including Monroe, Dade and Broward counties, have been fleeing northward, jamming interstates and creating a run on gas and water. Fuel tankers were escorted by Florida State Troopers on Thursday, in an effort to alleviate the shortage. Over 50 percent of the gas stations in Metro Dade reported major shortages, or no gas at all.

Congestion on US 1 in the Florida Keys ahead of Irma. (Miami Herald Photo)

Irma is forecast to approach the southeast coast of Florida late Saturday or early Sunday, possibly making a direct hit on Miami and its 6 million residents. A storm surge of 5 to 10 feet is possible in the low-lying Florida Keys. The storm surge is a dome of water generated by the storm, preceding it into the coastline. Storm surge flooding is the deadliest component of most hurricanes, reaching in some cases over 20 feet. Waves on top of the surge can demolish homes and destroy infrastructure. The hurricane is expected to move from south to north across the entire state of Florida over the weekend, before moving into Georgia and the Carolina's. Irma's wind field is massive, with tropical storm force winds extending more than 185 miles (295km) from the center of the storm. Damaging winds are expected to impact the entire state of Florida. Federal and State resources have been mobilized in advance of the hurricane, staging in various sections of the state and neighboring Alabama. Meanwhile, relief efforts are in full force across the Caribbean, where several islands were leveled by Irma. The death toll is at 20 as of Friday afternoon.