As Hurricane Irma approaches after wreaking havoc on the Caribbean, some Florida Keys residents are staying put and taking selfies next to massive waves despite orders to evacuate.
Florida and Georgia officials have encouraged six million people to evacuate before the storm hits.
But shocking photos from the US’s Southernmost Webcam show Floridians are brazenly ignoring their instructions and are snapping photos next to giant waves.
One man was knocked over by a wave that crashed over the barrier as he took a photo.
He stood on top of the barrier to get the perfect view of the churning waters before getting smacked by the wave and being pushed back onto the ground. The man stood up and walked away as if nothing happened.
A man was seen taking a photo second before a wave crashed over the barrier at the the US’s southernmost point
He is pushed back a few feet then stands up and walks away as if nothing happened. Hurricane Irma is currently a category three storm
As of 5pm on Saturday, Irma was just 115 miles southeast of Key West and had sustained winds of 125mph.
The Key West National Weather Service tweeted Friday: ‘THIS IS AS REAL AS IT GETS’
‘NOWHERE IN THE FLORIDA KEYS WILL BE SAFE.’
‘YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO EVACUATE.’
Even though Irma is projected to be one of the most vicious hurricanes to make landfall in the Sunshine State, some Floridians aren’t letting it affect their daily routine.
From a bar stool at Mac’s Club Deuce at Miami Beach, Kathleen Paca told the New York Post: It’s not going to be that bad. I’m on the second floor and have impact windows. I’ve thrown coconuts at my windows and they don’t break.
Carl Roberts, a lawyer, justified staying put to the paper, saying: ‘No. 1, I don’t have anywhere to go.’
‘Hurricane damage is primarily water rising. And I’m on the 17th floor. I have security shutters, so I should be quite safe here.’
What evacuation order? Two cyclists smiled while taking a selfie at the US’s southernmost point as massive waves crashed over the barriers
The Key West National Weather Service has encouraged everyone in the Florida Keys to evacuate before Irma hits on Sunday
Governor Rick Scott announced Saturday approximately 76,000 people have been left without power because of the Category three hurricane.
Elsewhere in Miami, people were seen walking outside amid strong wind gusts as Irma approaches Florida.
People were seen surfing in Miami, even though professional surfer Alan Burke died in Barbados while riding a giant wave caused by Irma.
Brock Long, the chief of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, warned residents in the Florida Keys who have not heeded warnings: ‘You’re on your own until we can actually get in there, and it’s safe for our teams to support local and state efforts.’
A surfer in Miami Beach takes advantage of the rougher water before the rain on Saturday morning
A satellite image on Saturday shows Hurricane Irma as it makes its way away from Cuba and towards Florida. The outer bands of the storm have already begun thrashing southern Florida with strong winds and rain
Residents in the Keys have been warned for days that they must pack up and leave before Irma hits. Some defiantly stayed, vowing to ride out the storm despite the warnings that the decision may cost them their lives.
‘The message has been clear – the Keys are going to be impacted, there is no safe area within the Keys, and you put your life in your own hands by not evacuating,’ Long told CNN.
So far Irma has claimed at least 24 lives after torturing the Caribbean. The death toll will likely rise as recovery missions continue.