Florida's Monroe County has been ordered to evacuate as Hurricane Irma looms in the Atlantic, according to the county's public information office.
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Irma has set a record as the first hurricane to reach wind speeds of 180 miles per hour Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.
The mandatory evacuation for Monroe County, home to the Florida Keys, is for visitors. The evacuation will begin at sunrise on Wednesday morning. An evacuation for residents also will be issued, though a time has not been set.
“If ever there was a storm to take seriously in the Keys, this is it,” Monroe County Emergency Management Director Martin Senterfitt said. “The sooner people leave, the better.”
