Hurricane Irma: Palm Beach Evacuations, Countywide Curfew

PALM BEACH COUNTY, FL — Hurricane Irma continued to make its way towards Florida Saturday and after hitting the north coast of Cuba, it is expected to regain strength as it approaches the Florida keys and South Florida. Currently, Irma is a Category 3 hurricane.

In Palm Beach County, mandatory evacuations were ordered for Zone A, which includes mobile homes and low-lying areas prone to water intrusion, and Zone B which generally includes the barrier islands, land areas north and south of the Jupiter Inlet, and other surge-vulnerable areas along the Intracoastal Waterway. Mandatory evacuations were also ordered for the Glades. A voluntary evacuation was ordered for Zone C. Click here to find your evacuation zone.

Beginning at 3 p.m. on Saturday, a countywide curfew will go into effect until further notice. (For updates on Irma and the latest information for Palm Beach County residents, subscribe to the West Palm Beach Patch.)

"A person must have a legitimate purpose for being out past curfew hours," county officials said. "In addition to the curfew, the State of Emergency also prohibits the sale and/or distribution of alcohol as well as the sale and/or display of firearms."

More than 11,000 people are currently in emergency shelters in Palm Beach County.

Below is a list of shelters that are open, closed or at capacity:

• West Boca Raton High School (Open)
• Park Vista High School (Open)
• Animal Care and Control West Boynton Rec Ctr (Open)
• Palm Beach Central High School (Open)
• Seminole Ridge High School (Divert)
• Atlantic Community High School (Open)
• John I Leonard High School (Open)
• Boca Raton High School (Open)
• Boynton Beach High School (Open)
• Lake Shore Middle School (Closed)
• West Gate Elementary School (Full)
• Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary (Divert)
• Pahokee Middle School (Closed)
• Palm Beach Gardens High School (Open)
• Independence Middle School (Full)

By 11 a.m., the National Hurricane Center said Irma's clash with Cubahad weakened the storm to Category 3 status. Still very much classified a "major" hurricane, Irma remained on a path that is expected to have potentially catastrophic impacts on Florida's west coast. Weather officials say Irma remains an extremely dangerous threat to for all of South Florida and currently a hurricane warning and storm surge warning is in effect for coastal Palm Beach County. A hurricane warning is also in effect for metro Palm Beach.

Photo by Desmond Boylan/Associated Press