Weather
Hurricane Irma: Evacuees Pack Roads In Virginia
As Hurricane Irma gets closer to making landfall in Florida, out-of-state cars are packing the roads in Virginia.
MCLEAN, VA — In Virginia, seeing out-of-state plates is business as usual, but this weekend residents may see more of our southern neighbors as they evacuate from Hurricane Irma. Forecasters say Hurricane Irma could do minimal damage in Virginia, and evacuees are heading toward or passing through the Old Dominion to avoid the brunt of the storm.
Hurricane Irma is expected to make landfall in Florida Sunday morning, possibly on its western coast. Authorities have ordered mandatory evacuations for parts of Florida like the Keys, parts of Miami-Dade County and the Tampa Bay area, as well as coastal areas of Georgia and South Carolina.
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Find out what's happening in McLeanfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Watch: Florida Governor, ‘Irma Now Impacting Our State'
With minimal impact expected from the storm, Virginia appears to be a destination for some evacuees, or at least a path north through Interstate 95.
Find out what's happening in McLeanfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
My parents said as of yesterday the majority of cars on I-95 had Florida tags. In Virginia. 800 miles away from Florida.
— Ben Brown (@bebrown2) September 9, 2017
BIG TIME traffic headed north on I-95 near Emporia, Virginia. A LOT of Florida license plates. #HurricaneIrma #Florida #Evacuation @wusa9 pic.twitter.com/Wf0kKE7Nl4
— Adam Longo (@adamlongoTV) September 8, 2017
Irma headed to Tampa directly? I'm out, cub-scout! #95North #VAHereICome
— Call Me Kee (@KJaHMuSiC) September 9, 2017
So far our voyage from Fayetteville to the Virginia border has basically been an evacuation traffic jam
— Amanda Dolasinski (@AmandaDFO) September 8, 2017
Headed north on 95 surrounded by FL and NC Plates...and the north bound HOV is closed! any reason in particular southbound has HOV @VaDOT ? pic.twitter.com/YKwLVYVR01
— Erin West (@ErinWest_ITRT) September 9, 2017
Yes, my mom is one of them returning home. Wish my family hadn't moved there. She's been on the road 2 days, tomorrow will be her third day.
— twattlebug (@twattlebug) September 9, 2017
The Virginia Department of Transportation urges residents to be patient as more out-of-state drivers pack the roads. To check live traffic conditions in Virginia as evacuees head north, visit www.511virginia.org.
As of Saturday morning, Irma was located about 225 miles south of Miami, moving west-northwest at 12 mph. The hurricane has torn through Caribbean, leaving at least 20 people dead in its wake and packing maximum sustained winds of 130 mph.
SEE ALSO:
- Hurricane Irma: 'Freight Train' Of A Storm Barrels Toward Florida, Georgia, Carolinas
- Hurricane Irma: Will It Reach Virginia?
- Hurricane Irma: Virginia Governor Declares State Of Emergency
Pictured in this image, traffic backs in the north-bound lanes of Interstate 75 near the Georgia-Florida state line as people flee Hurricane Irma Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, in Jennings, Fla.. (John Bazemore/Associated Press)
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