Vero Beach prepares for Hurricane Dorian

Mandatory evacuation ordered for Monday at 8 a.m.

VERO BEACH, Fla. – A mandatory evacuation order will take effect for the barrier islands of Indian River County beginning at 8 a.m. Monday, according to county emergency officials.

The order will cover all of the barrier islands, low-lying areas, mobile home communities and residents who need extra assistance.

"It's scary.  I'm not really prepared for it," said Lynne Wise.
She and others ventured out to Orchid Island in Vero Beach on Sunday before the order took effect.

They said they wanted to see what the water conditions looked like.

Rough surf forced Indian River County officials to close all of the beaches this Labor Day weekend, but that did not stop some people from not only getting in the water, but also being knocked over by the waves.

"The anxiety was really bad," said Wise. "When I first saw on the TV that it was going to move into Vero Beach, I just sat there and cried. I don't want to see this again."

Some businesses spent their Sunday boarding up their windows, while others have already done it.

Upscale Orchid Island would usually be bustling on a Labor Day weekend.
Instead, it's empty.

The residents who live here said they're as ready as they can be.

"We've got our water. We've got everything we need. We got food. Our windows are boarded up," said resident Jay Gribble.
 


About the Author:

Erik Sandoval joined the News 6 team as a reporter in May 2013 and became an Investigator in 2020. During his time at News 6, Erik has covered several major stories, including the 2016 Presidential campaign. He was also one of the first reporters live on the air at the Pulse Nightclub shooting.

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