Floridians keep wary eye on Hurricane Irma, buying supplies

MIAMI – Floridians took advantage of the Labor Day holiday to empty many store shelves of drinking water and other supplies in advance of Hurricane Irma, which could affect the state by the weekend.

By mid-day Monday, many grocery stores across South Florida had been emptied of bottled water and stores were hoping to restock beginning Tuesday morning.

On Monday, Florida Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency for the state’s 67 counties to give local governments “ample time, resources and flexibility” to prepare for the storm. He also urged Floridians to stay vigilant and monitor weather conditions.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami says Hurricane Irma is a Category 4 storm, centred about 320 miles (515 kilometres) east of the Leeward Islands and moving west at 14 mph (22 kph).