Brevard County Emergency Management officials have ordered more than 100,000 residents living on Merritt Island and along the coastal areas to leave their residences and evacuate in preparation for Hurricane Irma’s arrival this weekend.
Authorities ordered shelters across Brevard County to open Friday afternoon in anticipation of residents wanting to leave their homes, flood prone areas along the Indian River and mobile home parks for more secure locations.
Read more in the press release below.
Emergency Management Office
Don Walker
Communications Director
Office: (321) 690-6843
don.walker@brevardfl.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, September 7, 2017Brevard County Announces Evacuations and Shelters for Irma BREVARD COUNTY, FL. -- Brevard County has announced a mandatory evacuation order starting at 3 PM Friday.
This order is for Evacuation Zone A, (http://www.brevardfl.gov/EmergencyManagement/HaveAPlan/Evacuation) which includes the barrier islands, Merritt Island and some mainland low-lying areas along the Indian River Lagoon. In addition, those who live in mobile or manufactured homes or in other flood-prone areas are also vulnerable and should evacuate, whether on the mainland or the barrier islands.The evacuation order is effective at 3 PM Friday so that residents and visitors have a minimum of 24 hours in which to prepare their homes and take shelter before the arrival of tropical storm-force winds, which are expected overnight Saturday night.Also at 3 PM Friday, the following shelters will open:
Pet-Friendly
- Port St. John Community Center, 6650 Corto Road, Port St. John
- Viera Regional Community Center, 2300 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Viera
- Wickham Park Community Center, 2815 Leisure Way, Melbourne
- Ted Whitlock Community Center at Fred Poppe Regional Park, 1951 Malabar Rd NW, Palm Bay
General Population
- Apollo Elementary School, 3085 Knox McRae Dr., Titusville
- Imperial Estates Elementary School, 900 Imperial Estates Lane, Titusville
- Space Coast Junior/Senior High, 6150 Banyan Street, Port St John
- Walter Butler Community Center at Bernice Jackson Park, 4201 US Highway 1, Cocoa
- Manatee Elementary School, 3425 Viera Blvd., Viera
- Sherwood Elementary School, 2541 Post Road, Melbourne
- Melbourne High School, 74 Bulldog Blvd., Melbourne
- Meadowlane Intermediate Elementary, 2700 Wingate Blvd., West Melbourne
- Heritage High School 2351 Malabar Rd., Palm Bay
- Bayside High School, 1901 DeGroodt Rd. S.W. Palm Bay
- South Mainland Community Center, 3700 Allen Ave., Micco
Special needs shelters will also open on Friday; telephone calls to registered clients will begin today, as County staffers determine which residents will require transportation via Space Coast Area Transit buses.Although shelters will provide food, residents going to shelters will need to take their own supplies, including bedding, folding chairs or sleeping bags; any needed medications; multiple changes of clothing and sturdy shoes; personal hygiene items; and entertainment items, like games, cards, books, or magazines.
Residents who do not plan to stay in public shelters are encouraged to stay with family or friends on the mainland, and to evacuate tens of miles rather than hundreds of miles, as traffic on highways and interstates is likely to be heavier.
For information about this and other Hurricane Irma questions, call the Community Information Hotline at 2-1-1.
Photo: Getty