HURRICANE IRMA | Miami-Dade Mayor: 660,000 ordered to leave

MIAMI (AP) — Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez says more than 660,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate as Hurricane Irma approaches South Florida.

The mayor said during a news conference today this is the largest evacuation order he can remember.

For anyone staying put, he says they need to have food and water to last at least three days.

He says Miami-Dade County tap water is fine and people should fill every possible container before the storm hits. He says the water is fine to drink.

The county plans to have 43 shelters with a capacity of more than 100,000 people open by the end of the day today.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott ordered all public schools, colleges and universities to close today through Monday.

The governor told residents not to become complacent because the storm could have "major and life-threatening impacts from coast to coast."

•••

11:25 a.m.

CAIBARIEN, Cuba (AP) — Cuba evacuated tourists from beach side resorts and Floridians emptied stores of plywood and bottled water after Hurricane Irma left at least 16 people dead and thousands homeless on a devastated string of Caribbean islands and spun toward Florida for what could be a catastrophic blow this weekend.

The hurricane rolled past the Dominican Republic and Haiti and battered the Turks and Caicos Islands early today with waves as high as 20 feet. Communications went down as the storm slammed into the islands, and the extent of the devastation was unclear.

Irma also spun along the northern coast of Cuba, where thousands of tourists were evacuated from low-lying keys off the coast dotted with all-inclusive resorts. All residents of the area were under mandatory evacuation orders from the Cuban government, which was moving tens of thousands of people from vulnerable coastline.

Warships and planes were dispatched with food, water and troops after Irma smashed homes, schools and roads, laying waste to some of the world's most beautiful and exclusive tourist destinations.

On the island of St. Thomas, power lines and towers were toppled, leaves were stripped off plants and trees, a water and sewage treatment plant was heavily damaged and the harbor was in ruins, along with hundreds of homes and dozens of businesses.

Thousands of tourists were trapped on St. Martin, St. Barts, and the Virgin Islands in the path of Category 3 Hurricane Jose, which threatened to roll in from the Atlantic and strike as early as Saturday.

•••

9 a.m.

MIAMI (AP) — President Donald Trump is urging people to "be safe" as Hurricane Irma approaches.

On Twitter today, Trump wrote, "Hurricane Irma is of epic proportion, perhaps bigger than we have ever seen. Be safe and get out of its way, if possible."

Trump added the federal government is ready, and in another tweet, he said: "Our incredible U.S. Coast Guard saved more than 15,000 lives last week with Harvey. Irma could be even tougher. We love our Coast Guard!"

Coastal residents around South Florida have been ordered to evacuate as the killer storm closes in on the peninsula for what could be a catastrophic blow this weekend.

Meanwhile, the Miami Marlins are in Atlanta for the start of a weeklong road trip with Hurricane Irma very much on their minds.

They arrived on a chartered flight crowded with the families of players and staff. That helped ease some immediate concerns, but they couldn't ignore what's going on back in Miami, where highways are jammed as coastal residents face mandatory evacuations.

Miami Manager Don Mattingly says the team is still watching what happened with Harvey, and now worrying that Irma could devastate their hometown.