Reports: Florida officials “working aggressively” to refuel gas stations as evacuations continue

As of 1:52 p.m. EDT, this reports story will no longer be updated. Click here for the latest updates on preparation efforts for Irma in the United States.

Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas are under states of emergency as residents prepare for a possible threat from Irma.

"Irma is only one of five known hurricanes during the satellite era to have reached sustained winds of 185 mph or higher," said AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski.

Some potentially threatened areas in the Carolinas and coastal Georgia haven't been directly impacted by a major hurricane in more than 100 years, according to the Associated Press.

On Wednesday, a mandatory evacuation was issued for visitors to the Florida Keys and commercial air traffic was suspended at Key West International Airport. Evacuation orders have also been issued in parts of Miami.

The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane and storm surge watch for parts of South Florida and the Florida Keys on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Rick Scott has suspended tolls across the state's highways to help expedite the evacuation and supply-gathering process for residents.

The islands of Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin and Anguilla in the northern Leeward Islands took a direct hit from Irma on Wednesday morning. Irma's 150 mph-plus winds and at least 12-foot storm surge caused catastrophic damage.

So far, Irma has killed at least 10 people in the Caribbean, the AP reported.

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1:06 p.m. EDT Thursday: Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has issued mandatory evacuation orders for Chatham County, which includes Savannah.

"Beginning Saturday, a mandatory evacuation order will take effect for Chatham County, all areas east of I-95 and some areas west of I-95 that could be impacted by this catastrophic hurricane and storm surge," Deal said.

The a total of 30 counties are currently under a state of emergency in Georgia.

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12:21 p.m. EDT Thursday: Cruise lines continue to cancel or change itineraries due to the approach of the deadly Category 5 Hurricane Irma, which has already devastated islands in the Caribbean.

Thirty-one sailings from cruise lines including Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises have been impacted as of Thursday, according to Cruise Critic. So far, 13 of the affected sailings have been canceled.

One of Royal Caribbean’s ships, the 1,000-foot Enchantment of the Seas, will be used to carry the cruise line's employees and their family members away from Miami to calmer seas on Friday before Irma arrives, CNN reported.

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11:29 a.m. EDT Thursday: Florida Gov. Rick Scott tweeted that fuel trucks across the state are being escorted by law enforcement officers to gas stations low on fuel.

Scott said officials are "working aggressively" around the clock to refuel the state's gas stations.

"For gas stations in evacuation zones: we need you to stay open as long as possible so people can get out," Scott said in a statement.

Scott announced on Thursday that 3,000 additional members of the Florida Army and Air National Guard will be activated on Friday in preparation for Irma.

"These men and women are putting themselves in harm’s way to save the lives of their fellow Floridians while many of their own families are evacuating," Scott said. "I am proud of their commitment to keeping our families safe."

By Friday, all 7,000 members of the National Guard are expected to be deployed.

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11:02 a.m. EDT Thursday: A hurricane watch has been issued for South Florida. This includes areas south of the Jupiter Inlet, which is on the eastern coast of the state, to Bonita Beach on the western coast and down to the Florida Keys, according to BNO News.

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10:18 a.m. EDT Thursday: Disaster relief organizations from Florida to the Carolinas are preparing to offer assistance ahead of Irma's potential impacts.

Meanwhile, Monroe County officials have dispelled rumors that bridges to the Florida Keys will be closed before Irma's arrival.

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9:36 a.m. EDT Thursday: Florida's northbound roadways continue to be inundated with heavy traffic as evacuees prepare to leave.

Florida's primary highways include Interstate 95, the Florida Turnpike and Interstate 75, in addition to U.S. Highway 27 and other smaller roads.

Florida Sen. Bill Nelson said that roads will possibly become "tremendously" clogged if Irma hits the state, according to CNN.

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9:05 a.m. EDT Thursday: In response to reports of Florida gas stations running out fuel as residents prepare for Irma, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved an emergency fuel waiver.

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8:15 a.m. EDT Thursday: Evacuations are underway in Miami Beach, Florida. The coastal city has no storm shelters, according to The Guardian.

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7:05 a.m. EDT Thursday: The Human Society in Broward County, Florida, began evacuating animals ahead of the looming hurricane. According to their Instagram, over 150 cats and dogs are being moved to San Francisco as of Thursday morning.

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5:30 a.m. EDT Thursday: The Carolinas and Georgia have declared states of emergency ahead of Irma.

“It is a precaution. This is not an order of evacuation,” said South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster. “Assume it’s arriving tomorrow morning and get ready. When that hurricane is coming, when it gets close, it’s too late.”

The declaration is for coastal Georgia and all of both North and South Carolina.

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4:15 a.m. EDT Thursday: All three hospitals in the Florida Keys will be closed by Friday morning ahead of Irma, said a spokeswoman for Monroe County. The earliest, Fisherman's Community Hospital, will close by 7 a.m. Thursday.

Thirteen patients have been evacuated from the Lower Keys Medical Center as of Wednesday afternoon to a hospital in Alabama.

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3:05 a.m. EDT Thursday: Four emergency evacuation centers have opened in Miami-Dade County following mandatory evacuations. Local media reports that these shelters can take in about 8,000 people.

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2:15 a.m. EDT Thursday: The walkie talkie app Zello is making an effort to warn users that the application may not work after a hurricane. The app became popular in the wake of Hurricane Harvey as a way for people to communicate with potential rescuers, allowing a cell phone or tablet to be used like a walkie talkie.

However, Zello urges customers not to expect to rely on it after a major storm, as the the app requires Wi-Fi or cell service to function.

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12 a.m. EDT Thursday: The Patrick Air Force Base along the east coast of Florida has declared Hurricane Condition V, taking the necessary precautions ahead of Irma's wrath.

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10:10 p.m. EDT Wednesday: Irma continues to pummel the Northern Caribbean Islands as a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph. AccuWeather meteorologists expect Irma to weaken slightly as it nears Florida, but it will still be a powerful Category 4 hurricane as it closes in on South Florida.

Not only are people in Florida preparing for the storm, but also those as far north as North Carolina.

Grocery stores were beginning to sell out of bottled water and emergency supplies while some gas stations were running out of gas.

Earlier in the day, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency for all 100 counties in preparation for the impacts from Irma.

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7:45 p.m. EDT Wednesday: Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for all mobile homes in Miami-Dade County, as well as the barrier islands and beach cities. This includes Miami Beach.

Traffic is also becoming backed up on highways leading out of southern Florida as people begin to evacuate.

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6:55 p.m. EDT Wednesday: Residents of southern Florida are bracing for Hurricane Irma, with some preparing to evacuate before the storm arrives.

Several shelters are now open in Miami for people that are not able to leave the city ahead of Irma's arrival.

People that are planning to evacuate but cannot take their pets with them are able to take them to Miami-Dade Animal Services, where they will be taken care of and sheltered from the hurricane.

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3:50 p.m. EDT Wednesday: A state of emergency has been declared in part of Georgia with Irma forecast to impact the state.

“Ahead of Hurricane Irma, I’ve issued an executive order prohibiting price gouging and waiving rules and regulations for motor vehicles transporting supplies, equipment, personnel, goods and services associated with disaster assistance and relief," Gov. Nathan Deal said.

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2:45 p.m. EDT Wednesday: American Airlines has canceled flights at multiple Florida airports as of Wednesday afternoon, including Miami, Palm Beach and Sarasota–Bradenton international airports.

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2:36 p.m. EDT Wednesday: The Atlanta Motor Speedway is welcoming evacuees seeking shelter from Hurricane Irma. The 71,000-capacity speedway will open its RV and tent camping facilities to evacuees free of charge beginning on Thursday.

Florida's Polk County Sheriff's Office announced that law enforcement officers will be checking identification at storm shelters.

The sheriff's office also tweeted that sex offenders and predators would not be admitted to the county's shelters.

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1:45 p.m. EDT Wednesday: Florida Gov. Rick Scott warned residents at a press conference on Wednesday that Hurricane Irma’s impacts could surpass those of 1992’s powerful Hurricane Andrew, which was also a Category 5 storm.

Scott said that evacuations in the Florida Keys, which are already underway for visitors, will extend to residents after 7 p.m. EDT Wednesday.

Carlos Gimenez, Miami-Dade County’s mayor, said that because Irma has slowed down, mandatory evacuation orders have not yet been issued for coastal areas. Officials will continue to assess whether mandatory evacuation orders are necessary, he said.

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12:38 p.m. EDT Wednesday: Gov. Henry McMaster has declared a state of emergency for South Carolina. No evacuation orders have yet been issued for the state.

"South Carolina is fortunate to have time to allow us to prepare for Hurricane Irma's potential landfall," McMaster tweeted. "It is important that families and individuals in vulnerable areas use that time to review safety plans in case they are needed."

Hurricane Irma is expected to bring life-threatening impacts from Florida to the Carolinas beginning this weekend.

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12:26 p.m. EDT Wednesday: Scheduled cruises are altering or canceling itineraries due to Irma. As of Wednesday, at least 26 cruise sailings have been impacted, with 11 of those cruises being canceled, according to Cruise Critic.

Affected cruise lines include Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Carnival and Disney.

Meanwhile, Florida gas stations continue to run out of fuel as residents brave long lines to fill up their tanks before the storm's arrival.

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11:43 a.m. EDT Wednesday: Further evacuation orders have begun in Florida. Officials in Broward County, which lies north of Miami-Dade County, have ordered mandatory evacuations for parts of the county beginning Thursday at noon.

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11:18 a.m. EDT Wednesday: About 1,000 National Guard members will be working across Florida by Wednesday night to help with preparations ahead of Irma.

Gov. Rick Scott initially deployed 100 service members on Tuesday and sent an additional 900 members to Florida on Wednesday, the Miami Herald reported.

It is expected that 6,000 National Guard members will report for duty by early Friday, said Scott.

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10:36 a.m. EDT Wednesday: Florida Gov. Rick Scott urged residents to heed expected evacuation orders as Irma threatens to impact the state.

Evacuations began Wednesday morning for people in Miami-Dade County with special needs, he said. Miami-area officials have advised residents living in low-lying areas to begin evacuations now.

"Remember [that] we can rebuild your home, but we cannot rebuild your life," Scott said.

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9:50 a.m. EDT Wednesday: People in Florida are experiencing long wait times for gas, water and other essentials ahead of Hurricane Irma, with some gas stations already running out of fuel and grocery stores dwindling on supplies.

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