Sep 5, 2008 2:38 pm US/Eastern
Dade County Emergency Center Eyes On Ike
DORAL (CBS4) ―
-
-
This is what Hurricane Ike looks like from 220 miles above the Earth.
Cameras on the International Space Station shot this picture of the category four storm.
NASA
Emergency managers across South Florida are keeping an eye on Hurricane Ike on Friday as it moves through the Caribbean and possibly towards parts of South Florida.
The storm could become a real threat on short notice. Friday afternoon, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez warned people to dust off hurricane plans, check their supplies, and pay attention.
"Ike could be a real threat to South Florida. We need to pay close attention to this hurricane", Mayor Alvarez said during a Friday morning news conference at the Office of Emergency Management.
As of 11 a.m., the National Hurricane Center suggested Ike's path will depend on the same steering currents that are pulling Tropical Storm Hanna toward a landfall in South Carolina Saturday.
By Friday, many tracking models, including the National Hurricane Center's official forecast, pointed Ike on a course through the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas -- and then South Florida.
Miami-Dade County's emergency operations center will operate at a Level 2 on Sunday which means partial activation.and a possible Level 1, full activation on Monday, Sept. 8.
Doug Bass, Director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security for Miami-Dade County was among those who attended Friday's news conference and he urged residents to make sure they have all of their supplies and have a plan in place if an evacuation order is given.
South Floridians should make sure shutters are ready, flashlights are at hand, and plenty of batteries are stacked next to the portable radio and television.
Emergency managers are urging people to be aware of the evacuation zone for their home. Generally, people who live in coastal areas east of US1 or I-95, and people who live in manufactured housing such as mobile homes, would be expected to evacuate if a hurricane warning is issued.
Click Here for more information about determining whether you live in an evacuation zone.
For the first time, a significant number of South Florida supermarkets and gas stations have installed generators to allow them to return to operation quickly following a storm, but emergency officials say it's still a good idea to have food supplies up-to-date and gas tanks topped off while a system is in the area.
Click here to see a list of generator-equipped supermarkets and gas stations in South Florida.
The Miami-Dade County 3-1-1 Answer Center will remain open until 10:00 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5, and from 8:00 a.m. to midnight on Saturday, Sept. 6. Residents can call 3-1-1 in Miami-Dade or 305-468-5900 outside of Miami-Dade County, TDD: 305-468-5402. Specialists are taking calls in English, Spanish and Creole.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Burned Teen's Family Staying Positive
Click to enlarge
I-Team: Tracking The Florida Stimulus Money Trail 
Stumble It!
