Record Evacuation: 650,000 Ordered to Flee Miami-Dade County as Hurricane Irma Nears

Hurricane Irma reached historic proportions on Wednesday, Sept. 6, becoming the only Atlantic or Eastern Pacific hurricane on record with sustained winds of 185 mph for over 24 hours, according to Eric Blake, a scientist with the National Hurricane Center. NOAA

Today is the last chance for Florida residents to evacuate. 

As Hurricane Irma approaches closer to the U.S. coastline, Florida residents must decide whether they are staying to face the storm or leaving to seek shelter in safer areas. 

Over 650,000 residents in Miami-Dade County were ordered to evacuate. According to Miami Herald, the total number of residents ordered to flee hits the record for the largest evacuation ever attempted by the county. 

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