Miami prepares for Hurricane Irma, expecting worst as about 650,000 ordered out

A CBC News crew landed in Miami on Thursday morning to document preparations for Hurricane Irma, which had already raked the Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless. As the day progressed, evacuations ramped up across the city. By day's end, the largest-ever evacuation in Miami-Dade County history was underway. Here is a look at some of what we saw through the day:

Empty flights in, full flights out

Morning flights from Toronto to Miami were all but empty. On this Air Canada jet, only 17 passengers boarded — most of them Americans eager to get back to their families before the storm hits. Most Canadian flights were expected to be full on the return leg, however — even adding extra seats to their planes to help people get out safely. 

Stocking up

A Miami supermarket was packed Thursday afternoon with people stocking up on water and perishables. Bottled water was still available, but supplies were dwindling faster than workers could restock the shelves. People were friendly and helpful to each other, though, directing new shoppers to the water without needing to ask what they were there for.

Long waits for gas

Many gas stations had already run out by Thursday morning, with reports at the end of the day that 40 per cent of gas stations in Miami were out. Steady lineups continued for the gas stations that were still open, but lines were moving fast and were organized by police officers. One person waiting in line said people were taking Irma more seriously than any other storm in over a decade. Usually people are stocking up for "hurricane parties" before an impending brush, but this time it's all business.

Evacuations ramp up

By Thursday afternoon, new hurricane forecast models had raised the inland storm surge expected for much of southern Florida. That meant expanding evacuation orders to cover about 650,000 people in all. Many hotels were evacuated Thursday evening, including the one that the CBC News team was staying at.

CBC News crew in evacuation

Hotel staff notified guests by knocking on their doors and offering a handout showing where the nearest evacuation centre was located.Those hotels that decided to stay open made their guests sign waivers of responsibility.

Blue skies before the storm

All of this was occurring almost 60 hours before landfall and with a fair amount of uncertainty in the forecast. Skies were mainly blue Friday for Miami, with high temperatures and high humidity, as the centre of Irma spun several hundreds of kilometres away. Officials were urging people in evacuation zones that Friday was the last day to prepare before conditions deteriorate on Saturday.