Florida highways jammed as residents flee Irma’s wrath

Floridians are hitting the highway ahead of Irma, the massive Category 5 hurricane expected to strafe the state this weekend. The mass exodus from South Florida, now under a hurricane watch, are causing fuel shortages and traffic jams. Gov. Rick Scott called for patience and said officials are working hard to refill drained gas pumps. Overnight, state troopers escorted two fuel trucks from ports to gas stations in Marion County, to the north, and Martin County, in the south. Trucks from neighboring Georgia also are bringing fuel into northern Florida counties. Scott ordered a mandatory evacuation from parts of Miami and all of the Florida Keys. Irma is the most powerful hurricane ever to spin through the Atlantic Ocean, prompting fears of mass destruction when it finally slams into the United States. “This could easily be the most costly storm in U.S. history, which is saying a lot considering what just happened two weeks ago,” said University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy, alluding to the damage caused by the remnants of Hurricane Harvey in Texas.