Hurricane Irma: Miami-Dade Expands Evacuation Order To 680K People

MIAMI, FL — Saying "Now is the time for us to come together and help each other out," Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez expanded his mandatory evacuation order to include some 680,000 residents as Hurricane Irma continues to head toward South Florida. Speaking on Thursday afternoon, Gimenez warned county residents that the area is likely to experience tropical force winds as early as Saturday.

Like the Miami Patch Facebook page below, then continue reading the story.

"This storm is coming and our community needs to be ready," Gimenez said. (For more hurricane news or local news from Florida, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Miami Patch, and click here to find your local Florida Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

He expanded the county's mandatory evacuation order to include all of Evacuation Zones A and B as well as part of Zone C. This includes all of Miami Beach, flood-prone areas and beach communities.

Watch: Evacuations Underway In Hollywood, Florida

In the case of non essential businesses, Gimenez urged: "Close your stores and offices and send your employees home."

To find out if your home is affected by the evacuation order, visit Miamidade.gov and enter your address.

"I know we're asking a lot of our residents," said Gimenez. "This is probably 650,000 people." He later said that estimates were more like 680,000 people.

Miami-Dade county opened four shelters on Wednesday and an additional four shelters on Thursday. Officials were in the process of setting up an an additional four shelters that will be open sometime Thursday afternoon.

"I think this is unprecedented. I've been here 40 years," Gimenez conceded "We haven't had these kinds of evacuations."

By the time all county shelters are operational, Gimenez said that they will be able to accommodate up to 100,000 people who have nowhere else to go.

Mayor Carlos Gimenez courtesy of Miami-Dade County