Hurricane Irma Forces Evacuation In Florida Keys

Published September 6, 2017 at 1:40 PM EDT

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Flipboard
Email

Cars sit in traffic as they evacuate heading North on Overseas Highway in the Florida Keys on Sept, 5, 2017 in Islamorada, Florida. Residents are evacuating ahead of Hurricane Irma, a powerful storm expected to make landfall this weekend. (Marc Serota/Getty Images)

Officials in the Florida Keys have ordered tourists to evacuate the island chain as Hurricane Irma threatens to bring record-breaking wind speeds and catastrophic flooding later this week. The Keys’ approximately 70,000 residents will be ordered to leave soon, too, according to local emergency management officials.

Here & Now‘s Robin Young speaks with Monroe County emergency management director Martin Senterfitt about the storm.