As reported by WHNT News, while the worst of Irma is expected to hit southern Florida, it might follow evacuees to already crowded Alabama hotels.
Currently, almost all South Alabama hotel rooms are full of evacuees from Texas, Florida, and Georgia. And now northern Alabama establishments are selling out at a dizzying rate.
The Homewood Suites in Huntsville reports that from the time Florida was placed under a State of Emergency, their phones have been ringing off the hook with people looking for shelter. “We’ve had several people wanting rooms with two beds, we’re already out of those,” said Vickie Thrower, General Manager at Huntsville’s Homewood Suites. “We’ve had several calls from people stuck in traffic, and anticipated getting here around 6 and 7 p.m.; now they’re not getting here until 10 and 11 p.m.”
To make matters worse, some weather experts have placed the northern portion of Alabama in the direct path of Hurricane Irma sometime Tuesday morning, according to some models. While the storm will have obviously lost strength at that point, it still has the potential to drop a considerable amount of rain that comes with high winds. That leaves a path of storm damage running from Miami to Huntsville.
Adjacent state evacuees and Alabama storm preparations could cause a myriad of problems for the Yellowhammer state. Most hotel rooms are sold out, flooding is a possibility, and gas supplies could become depleted.
We will know more as the weekend progresses, but folks should prepare for all possibilities.
To stay up-to-date on all Irma related issues, follow us on our Facebook page.
Don’t miss out! Subscribe today to have Alabama’s leading headlines delivered to your inbox.