Indians in Florida brace for Hurricane Irma

As Hurricane Irma pounded Cuba's northern coast on Saturday and headed for Florida where millions of residents, a good number of them Indians, were told to evacuate after the storm killed 22 people in the Caribbean and left devastation in its wake.

Irma, one of the fiercest Atlantic storms in a century, is expected to cause flooding and major damage in Florida, the fourth-largest US state by population.

DNA reached out to a number of Indians who have made the state their home to know how they are preparing for the storm, a catastrophic category 5.

"We did not have an option but to leave our home after authorities issued a series of advisories," said Yogesh Jog, an IT professional residing in Broward County. "Mandatory and voluntary evacuation has been carried out as dangerous storm, high winds, and rain are predicted for the weekend," he said.

"We had three options — hunker down to stay and ride through it or move to safer shelter, which needs advanced registration, or move north," he noted.

That's not all. Jog said roads are clogged already due to traffic. While they have ran out of stock of bottled water, grocery stores are empty with necessary supplies. There are long queue to fill up petrol. Schools, shops, malls and offices have closed. "Price gauging on necessary supplies like gas and water was an issue but it was handled beautifully by the Governor," he added.

Another Indian, Sameer Gokhale, a network engineer in Fort Lauderdale, said they were not evacuated yet. "We have hurricane shutters on our house, so we are going to just use them. They just need to be locked. My only real concern is that we might lose the roof because it cannot withstand 140 mph winds. Our area wears a deserted look as practically everything is closed here. Hospitals seem to be opened for now and they generally have their own generators. Alerts are being done via cell phones, TV, radio and through the internet. We have stocked up food as well."

Gokhale added that neighbours are working together to let each other know of their respective preparations and assist in preparations. "Almost all shops and restaurants are closed locally. Petrol and water have become scarce. I have covered my car in a covered lot by the library close to our house," he said.

Jog said they have been keeping themselves updated through American Red Cross, FEMA, National Hurricane Centre and news channels to stay updated and prepared. "The message has been 'Save life, property can be replaced any time.' So we have opted for the third option of moving north and have left the house behind. My wife, son and I have moved to a hotel in Orlando. We may have to go further north, towards Atlanta, if needed," he added.

Gokhale is all praise for the local authorities who have been keeping everone informed. "The local TV stations are talking about only hurricane. Advisories are issued at 8am, 11am, 2pm, 5pm, 8pm and 11pm. The mayors of local cities are giving live advice on where residents can go for shelter. We have been inundated with information over the past two days," he said.

Representatives from Florida Power and Light have also reassured residents that all steps have been taken to ensure residents will not lose power.

One of the fiercest Atlantic storms in a century, Irma is expected to cause major damage due to high winds and flooding to the fourth-largest US state by population. The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) has warned that Irma would regain strength as it moved away from Cuba and was expected to remain a powerful hurricane as it approaches Florida, arriving in the Keys on Sunday morning.

With the storm barreling toward the United States, officials in Florida ordered an unprecedented evacuation, racing to overcome clogged highways, gasoline shortages and move elderly residents to safety. — With inputs from agencies