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Sep 6, 2008 6:36 pm US/Eastern

The Keys Begins Resident Evacuation Plans

Click Here For Info On Monroe County Evacuation Routes

KEY WEST (CBS4) ― Florida Keys officials ordered a mandatory visitor evacuation to begin at 9 a.m. Saturday. Emergency officials are set to begin a phased in mandatory evacuation for all residents beginning Sunday at 8 a.m.

The officials noted the times and regions as follows: Lower Keys and Key West: 8 a.m.; Middle Keys including Marathon: Noon; Upper Keys including Key Largo, Islamorada and mainland Monroe County: 4 p.m.

The evacuation shuttles to the hurricane shelter at Florida International University will begin running at 8 a.m. Sunday. Residents can be picked up at the Douglass Gym, Key West High School, Northside Drive at Searstown, and Bernstein Park. Buses are expected to run every 15 minutes.

Bill and Sandy Hatton are from Tampa and have already prepared to leave. Bill told CBS4 Reporter Ted Scouten, "Probably traffic is the reason we're leaving sooner, so we don't get involved in the main evacuation. Leaving early, we'll still be able to get gas on the way out. "

Tammy Shine lives in Key West. She is taking her little boy and heading to Orlando. But her husband is staying behind. She said, "I think I'm going to leave, because I have an infant baby and want to get out of town."

Last night on Duval Street, city officials told visitors to have fun Friday evening but prepare to leave bright and early the next day, which makes the honeymoon for London couple Adam and Carolyn Smith all that more memorable. Carolyn quipped, "We're used to bad weather, so we'll just go where we can go."

The evacuations are to continue through Monday at noon prior to the current forecast arrival of tropical storm force winds in the Keys Monday evening.

Monroe County Sheriff Rick Roth said that while people should not waste time securing their homes, businesses, boats and other property, there is no reason to panic.

"There is plenty of time to make hurricane preparations and calmly leave the Keys," said Roth. "Our deputies will be out in force, making sure the evacuation goes smoothly and any accidents that might occur are cleared from the roadway quickly in an effort to minimize delays."

Tolls on the Card Sound Road Bridge are to be suspended Saturday morning. Regular bus service in the city of Key West and the Lower Keys Shuttle will be suspended at the same time. Only the Blue and Green routes will operate on Sunday, from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with limited service in Key West and Stock Island.

There have been rumors that the mandatory evacuation may be lifted for residents of the Middle and Upper Keys, as Hurricane Ike is taking a more southerly track than originally expected. Those are not true; the mandatory evacuation order is still in effect. Monroe County officials will meet concerning the evacuations early Sunday morning. An announcement could be made as early at 5 a.m.

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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