Miami-Dade Mayor: 5 Shelters Full, More On Way

MIAMI, FL — With the largest evacuation in the history of Miami-Dade County well underway, County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said on Friday afternoon that five shelters had already reached capacity, including the only pet-friendly shelter opened thus far.

The mayor urged the county's 660,000 residents who are facing mandatory evacuation orders to seek out only shelters that have been officially designated as open. Some people were waiting outside one shelter that was still in the process of being set up.

"Right now our focus is shelter," Gimenez said on Friday. "We want to make sure that you have somewhere safe to go. So far this morning, we’ve opened up three additional shelters." (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.)

Watch: FEMA Tells Floridians In Irma's Path To 'Get Out Now'

With the additional three shelters, the county had a total of 11 shelters up and running as of Friday afternoon.

"Of the 11 shelters currently open, five are currently at capacity and cannot accept any more residents," the mayor said, urging residents not to visit those shelters in the hope of being let inside.

These are the evacuation shelters that are full:

Felix Varela Senior High School, 15255 SW 96th St., Miami; South Miami Senior High School, 6856 SW 53rd St., Miami; TERRA Environmental Research Institute, 11005 SW 84th St., Miami; North Miami Senior High School, 13110 NE 8th Ave., North Miami and E. Darwin Fuchs Pavilion at 10901 Southwest 24th St., Miami-Dade County Fair Expo Center, Miami. Fuchs was the only pet-friendly shelter that was operational as of early Friday.

To find your closest evacuation center that is open and still accepting residents, visit MiamiDade.gov/emergency or call 3-1-1, which is operating 24 hours per day during the storm.

Miami-Dade Transit is providing free bus transportation to the shelters. Residents may also park their cars at some metro station parking garages based on a first-come-first-served basis.

Here is additional information as of Friday:

• Metrobus, Metrorail and Metromover services are operating on a Sunday schedule. Transit services, including Special Transportation Service, will begin to cease operations and evacuations three hours prior to the estimated arrival of sustained winds of 39 mph.
• Miami-Dade Transit opened its parking garages as an area of refuge for personal cars. The following eight garages have opened, and spaces are on a first-come first-served basis: Dadeland South, Dadeland North, South Miami, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Earlington Heights, Okeechobee, Brownsville and Santa Clara. However, note Miami-Dade County will not be responsible for any damage, theft or vandalism to any cars parked in its garages.
• PortMiami as of noon today, all commercial vessels, including cruise and cargo, will depart the port and will close beginning at 8 p.m. tonight.
• All garbage and recycling services will continue to be provided as usual today.
• Bulky waste crews will continue to pick up previously scheduled piles until weather conditions do not permit safe operation. Miami-Dade County’s 13 neighborhood trash and recycling centers will close at 7 p.m. tonight and will remain closed tomorrow.
• Miami International Airport remains open and operational until wind speed reaches a sustained 35 mph. Some flights have been canceled so passengers need to call their airline directly.

Mayor Carlos Gimenez photo courtesy Miami-Dade County