Thursday, September 9, 2004
The National Hurricane Center in Miami is currently projecting that dangerous Hurricane Ivan will impact the Florida Keys late Sunday or early Monday. Because of the severity of the storm, Monroe County Emergency Management is beginning to issue protective actions and county officials have declared a local state of emergency effective at 8 am Thursday.

Emergency Management has ordered a mandatory evacuation for all the Florida Keys for non-residents, visitors and recreational vehicles beginning at 9 am Thursday morning. Owners of trailers and boat trailers should remove their property from the Keys Thursday beginning at 9 am as well.

Mobile home residents should begin to evacuate at 6 pm Thursday.

Emergency Management intends to initiate a phased evacuation of all residents in the Florida Keys and Flamingo Friday morning at 7 am. All residents that wish to leave THursday, are encouraged to do so.

All tolls on Card Sound Road are lifted at 9 am.

County and state parks will close Thursday.

Boat owners should secure their craft Thursday. The bridges at Snake Creek and Jewfish Creek will be locked in the down position (so that vehicles can pass) beginning Friday at 7 am.

A tractor-tanker trailer accident that had blocked US 1 at mile marker 28 on Little Torch Keys has been cleared, and the road has reopened.

All Monroe County schools are scheduled to close Friday.

Monroe County Emergency Management urges all residents and visitors to remain calm, listen and respond to directives. There is ample time to make necessary preparations.

Additional advisories and information will be issued later Thursday.

http://www.co.monroe.fl.us/EOC/ivan.htm