Some Jupiter Residents Told To Evacuate Ahead Of Hurricane Dorian
JUPITER (CBSMiami) -- There is a Hurricane Warning for Jupiter Inlet and areas to the north. However, Tropical Storm force winds are expected to affect other areas of Jupiter in northern Palm Beach County.
Sunday afternoon, a mandatory evacuation order went into effect for areas east of Ocean Drive, the barrier islands, and mobile home communities.
As Hurricane Dorian ripped through the Bahamas Sunday, some people were at the beaches in Jupiter for the waves and Intracoastal Waterway for the calmer waters.
"It's a beautiful day and we have impending danger right around the corner. It's wild," Jupiter Resident Len Laurro said.
The Laurro family has lived in Palm Beach County for 20 years. They first lived in a coastal community. Since then, they moved roughly five miles inland.
"We are not in a storm surge area. We were prior to moving there. So, we know the drill. Police will come through and they'll come through with a bullhorn and telling you to evacuate," Laurro said.
In Jupiter, officials have Independence Middle School open as a general population shelter. Hours after opening Sunday, the parking lot outside was packed with cars and CBS4 News witnessed several families with small children checking-in in hopes of staying safe.
As for the Laurro family, they are hoping the storm's strongest winds stay far away from them. But if the hurricane tracks closer to Florida, they will still ride out the storm.
"The house we are in right now can withstand a category 3. That's what they claim," Laurro said.
Not everyone is leaving coastal communities as Hurricane Dorian gets closer to Florida.
"I have impact windows, so you only have to worry about is maybe things hitting it or maybe cracking it but nothing seems to get through," Gino Bologna said.
Bologna built his home with the threat of hurricanes in mind.
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