Hordes flee Ivan the Terrible

2004-09-10 20:24

Key Largo - Thousands of cars, many towing boats, clogged the only road out of the Florida Keys on Friday after authorities ordered the evacuation of the chain of islands threatened by Hurricane Ivan.

"You can't take a chance, this one looks like it's gonna hit and hit bad," said Fernando Reyes, 37, as he finished packing his car for the trip north.

His words reflected the mood among many residents who shrugged off Hurricane Charley, which brushed the Keys last month, ignored Hurricane Frances, which hit a few hundred kilometres further north, but say Ivan is a storm to be feared.

Long-term forecasts, show the powerful hurricane could slam right into Key West, the tip of the Florida Keys and the southernmost point in the continental United States on Monday.

This, say residents, would devastate the chain of 45 islands linked to the mainland by a 170km road.

Flooding could be major problem

A significant number of people here live in flimsy wooden houses that would be smashed to bits by the storm.

Many residents rely on boats for their livelihood, but did not get enough warning to get them to safe harbour.

Flooding also could be a major problem on the islands, which face the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Gulf of Mexico to the west. "Storm surge is definitely a huge threat," said Albert Muxo, 33, as he shuttered up his property business in Key Largo.

"Right where we're standing, the water would get at least waist-high if the hurricane hits.

"It certainly does look like Ivan must be respected," he said.

The storm hurtled toward Jamaica on Friday after leaving a trail of death and devastation in the eastern Caribbean.

Muxo said all of his neighbours had either left for safety or were boarding up their houses and packing up.

The road out of the Florida Keys was jammed with evacuees headed for friends, hotels or a shelter set up at Miami's Florida International University, close to the National Hurricane Centre, where forecasters tracked the ferocious storm.

Authorities ordered the more than 80 000 residents and several thousand tourists off the Keys on Friday.

But some said they would wait just a little longer to see if the storm does change course. Forecasters say a direct hit on the Keys is not a certainty and that Ivan may head into the Gulf of Mexico, or could head north and slam into the southeastern Florida coast, already ravaged by Frances last weekend.

Hotels boarded up

Patrick McGeown said he'd wait for more definite word before he left. On Friday, he sat in one of the boarded-up Key Largo hotels he managed, discussing storm preparations with his staff.

"You've got to be careful of looters."

Whether or not the storm pummels the Florida Keys, the islands famed for their fishing, scuba diving and laid-back lifestyle have already taken a major hit, with hotels having to close for Charley, losing bookings to Frances, and again shutting their doors.

- AFP