As Hurricane Milton approaches Florida, state officials are urging residents to evacuate promptly to ensure their safety. With hundreds of thousands of people expected to leave their homes, authorities are cautioning that delays in evacuation could lead to increased traffic congestion and difficulties in reaching safe locations.
The Florida Emergency Management director emphasized the importance of acting swiftly, stating that there will be significant traffic congestion as people evacuate. To facilitate the evacuation process, the Florida Department of Transportation will allow drivers to use emergency shoulders on key interstates.
However, the state will not implement 'contraflow,' a system used in some states that converts all lanes of an interstate into outbound traffic away from evacuation zones. The decision to maintain regular traffic flow on interstates was made to ensure access for emergency responders, asset staging, and resident mobility.
The director highlighted the necessity of keeping the interstate system operational for various critical functions during the evacuation process. By preserving access to all facilities, including emergency response resources, Florida aims to facilitate a smooth and efficient evacuation for residents in at-risk areas.
