- Title: Tourists flee Miami ahead of Irma's arrival
- Date: 6th September 2017
- Summary: MIAMI, FLORIDA, USA (SEPTEMBER 6, 2017) (REUTERS) CONTROL TOWER AT MIAMI AIRPORT TERMINAL AT MIAMI AIRPORT WITH ROAD IN FOREGROUND SIGN FOR DEPARTURES IN AIRPORT PEOPLE WALKING IN AIRPORT BY DEPARTURES COUNTER CLOSE-UP OF LUGGAGE PEOPLE WITH LUGGAGE WAITING IN LINE AT DEPARTURES WOMAN AT SELF-CHECK IN TERMINAL PEOPLE IN LINE AT DEPARTURES AIRLINE WORKER AT COUNTER PEOPLE RECEIVING TICKETS FROM AIRLINE WORKER (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) MIAMI RESIDENT, ANDRES ROJAS, SAYING: "I'm leaving Miami because, well, it's because of the hurricane. Actually, I just bought my ticket, but there's five people in front of me, I'm just waiting in line, but they already have my money. I bought the ticket, but I can't go home, so I think I'm going to wait here for the hurricane." SIGN READING, "NEED HELP?" WITH PEOPLE IN LINE IN BACKGROUND PEOPLE WITH LUGGAGE IN LINE CLOSE-UP OF LUGGAGE PEOPLE IN LINE AT DEPARTURES (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) MIAMI RESIDENT, MARIA, SAYING: "We are scared a little bit, but I know we have the system better for houses and something like that in Puerto Rico, so thank God, I think that nothing can happen for bad things, and then here I'm afraid because it's a large hurricane." PEOPLE WITH LUGGAGE WAITING IN LINE GENERAL VIEW OF AIRLINE CHECK IN COUNTERS GROUP OF PEOPLE CHECKING IN AT COUNTER PEOPLE WALKING WITH COUNTERS IN BACKGROUND AIRPLANE ASCENDING IN SKY MIAMI AIRPORT WITH ROAD AND WATER IN FOREGROUND
- Embargoed: 21st September 2017 00:00
- Keywords: Hurricane Irma Miami airport tourists departing Hurricane Warning
- Location: MIAMI, FLORIDA, USA
- City: MIAMI, FLORIDA, USA
- Country: USA
- Topics: Disaster/Accidents,Wind/Hurricane/Typhoons/Tornadoes
- Reuters ID: LVA0016XGNJ2F
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Tourists and local residents thronged Miami's airport on Wednesday (September 6) looking to get out of town ahead of Hurricane Irma's arrival.
Airlines, in turn, adjusted flight schedules, made cancellations and assured passengers they would not have to pay unusually high fares ahead of the storm's arrival.
Irma, the second powerful hurricane to approach the United States in as many weeks, was expected to make landfall in Florida by the weekend, and as of Wednesday, it had already pummelled islands in the Caribbean with rain, pounding winds and surging surf.
While the storm's precise trajectory remained uncertain, airlines pre-emptively cancelled flights in the likely affected regions and put in place travel waivers for customers to reschedule plans.
American Airlines, the largest U.S. carrier by passenger traffic, on Wednesday said it would begin winding down operations in south Florida, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, on Friday. Miami-bound flights arriving on Friday from Europe and South America were cancelled.
Delta Air Lines and JetBlue announced fare caps on flights out of Florida - $99 on JetBlue and $399 on Delta - for residents trying to get out of the storm's path.
"We want those trying to leave ahead of the hurricane to focus on their safe evacuation rather than worry about the cost of flights," JetBlue spokesman Doug McGraw said.
Meanwhile, gasoline stations around Florida struggled to keep up with demand from customers anxious to fill tanks as Hurricane Irma approached, with some locations running out of supply on Wednesday (September 6).
Florida Governor Rick Scott said Irma could be more devastating than Hurricane Andrew, a Category 5 storm that struck the state in 1992 and still ranks as one of the costliest ever in the United States. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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