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Do You Know Where The Nearest Hurricane Shelter Is? Here Is How To Find It

This post was updated on Sept. 10, 2017 at 10:46 a.m.  

As Hurricane Irma slams into the Florida Keys and brings hurricane-force winds and storm surges to South Florida, residents are hunkered down in emergency shelters. And while some shelters have closed their doors for the most dangerous storm conditions, you should still know what your evacuation zone is and where to go.

Miami-Dade residents can check out a list of evacuation zones with corresponding shelters here. As of  10:15 a.m. on Sunday, 42 shelters were open, but authorities have reported 17 are already at capacity. However, 25 still have space and can take new evacuees. 

The county is urging people not to come out and seek those shelters now that hurricane conditions are arriving. That said, no shelter will turn anyone away who shows up. Approximately 31,000 people have now gone to the shelters, which have a capacity of 100,000.

County officials say they opened so many shelters not just to receive evacuees, but also to accommodate many additional people seeking shelter after the storm.

The following Miami-Dade shelters are currently open and receiving evacuees. We will be updating it as more information becomes available: 

  • Amelia Earhart Elementary (5987 East 7th Ave, Hialeah)
  • American Senior High (18350 NW 67th Ave, Hialeah)
  • Andover Middle School (121 NE 207 Street, Miami)
  • Barbara Goleman Senior High (14100 NW 89th Ave., Miami Lakes)
  • Bob Graham Education Center (15901 NW 79th Ave., Hialeah)
  • Carol City Senior High (3301 Miami Gardens Drive, Miami Gardens)
  • Central Senior High (1781 NW 95th Street, Miami)
  • Coral Park Senior High (8865 SW 16th Street, Miami)
  • Country Club Middle School (18305 NW 75th Place, Hialeah)
  • Georgia Jones Middle School (1331 NW 46th Street, Miami)
  • Hammocks Middle School (9889 Hammocks Blvd., Miami) *At capacity for pets
  • Hialeah Gardens Middle (11690 NW 92 Ave, Hialeah)
  • Hialeah Gardens Senior (11700 Hialeah Gardens Blvd., Hialeah Gardens)
  • Hialeah Miami Lakes Senior High (7977 West 12th Ave., Hialeah)
  • Hialeah Middle School (6027 E 7th Ave., Hialeah)
  • Hialeah Senior High (251 East 47th Street, Hialeah)
  • Hubert Sibley Middle (255 NW 115th Street, Miami)
  • Lakes Stevens Middle School (18484 NW 48th Place, Opa-locka)
  • Linda Lentin Middle (14312 NE 2nd Ct., Miami)
  • Miami Lakes Education Center (5780 NW 158th Street, Miami Lakes)
  • Miami Norland Senior (1050 NW 195th Street, Miami Gardens)
  • North Miami Beach Senior High (1247 NE 167th Street, Miami)
  • North Miami Middle (700 NE 137 Street, North Miami)
  • Robert Morgan Senior High (18180 SW 122nd Ave., Miami)
  • Ruben Dario Middle (350 NW 97th Ave, Miami)
  • Shenandoah Middle (1950 SW 19 Street, Miami)
  • W.R. Thomas (13001 SW 26th Street, Miami)

(Reminder: Miami-Dade officials urge people going to shelters to bring their own supplies, including food, water, medicine and bedding for 3 to 5 days.)
These Miami-Dade shelters are already at full capacity, and are not taking any new people: 

  • Felix Varela Senior High (15255 SW 96th Street, West Kendall)
  • Darwin Fuchs (Sunshine) Pavilion(10901 Coral Way, University Park)
  • Euguenia B. Thomas K-8 Center (5950 NW 114th Ave, Doral)
  • TERRA Environmental Senior High (11005 SW 84th Street, Miami)
  • North Miami Senior High (13110 NE 8th Ave, North Miami)
  • South Dade Middle (291000 SW 194 Ave., Miami)
  • South Miami Senior High (28401 SW 167th Ave., Miami)
  • Robert Morgan Education Center in South Dade (18180 SW 122nd Ave, Miami)
  • Ronald Reagan Senior High (8600 NW 107th Ave., Doral)
  • G. Holmes Braddock Senior High (3601 SW 147th Ave., Miami)
  • Highland Oaks Middle (2375 NE 203rd Street, Miami)
  • Jorge Mas Canosa Middle School (15735 SW 144th Street, Miami)
  • Miami Edison Senior (6161 NW 5th Ct., Miami)
  • Miami Killian Senior High (10655 SW 97th Ave., Miami)
  • Northwestern Senior High (1100 NW 71st Street, Miami)
  • South Miami Senior (EHPA BLDG) (6856 SW 53rd Street, Miami)

These Miami-Dade transit parking garages may be used to park personal cars, and are open on a first come, first served basis:

Miami Parking Authority announced at 5:26 p.m. Friday it will make the home plate garageat Marlins park stadium available for parking. 
 
Officials at the Broward County Emergency Operations Center say that Broward shelters are no longer accepting more people due to storm conditions.

Palm Beach County residents can find most of their shelters located near the eastern part of the county. See exactly where the emergency shelters are located here.

While there's a curfew currently in place in Palm Beach County, shelters are still accepting people. More than 17,000 people are in shelters already. The county can accommodate up to 43,000 people. 

These Palm Beach shelters are currently open: 

  • Palm Beach Gardens High School (4245 Holly Dr, Palm Beach Gardens)
  • South Florida Fairgrounds Expo Center (9067 Southern Blvd, West Palm Beach)
  • Palm Beach Central High School (8499 Forest Hill Blvd, Wellington)
  • Forrest Hill High School (8499 Forest Hill Blvd, Wellington)
  • John Leonard High School (4701 10th Ave N, Greenacres)
  • Independence Midlde School (4001 Greenway Drive, Jupiter)
  • West Boynton Recreation Center (6000 Northtree Blvd, Lake Worth) (There are still 43 spots remaining at the pet shelter at West Bonyton Recreation Center as as 6 p.m. Saturday)
  • Park Vista High School (7900 Jog Rd, Lake Worth)
  • Boynton Beach High School (4975 Park Ridge Blvd, Boynton Beach)
  • Atlantic Community High School (2455 W Atlantic Ave, Delray Beach)
  • Animal Care and Control West Boynton Rec Ctr (7100 Belvedere Rd, West Palm Beach)
  • Boca Raton High School (1501 NW 15th Ct, Boca Raton)
  • West Boca Raton High school (12811 Glades Rd, Boca Raton)

The following shelters in Palm Beach County are filled to capacity and are not taking any more people: 

  • West Gate Elementary (1545 Loxahatchee Dr, West Palm Beach)
  • Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary (1501 Avenue U, West Palm Beach)
  • Lakeshore Middle School (425 W Canal St. N, Belle Glade)
  • Pahokee Middle School (850 Larrimore Rd, Pahokee)

If you’re in Monroe County, you can find your shelters of last resort here. 

Monroe County's official Twitter account announced at 5:17 p.m. on Friday, that these shelters of last resort will open Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017 at 7 a.m.: 

  • Coral Shores High School -- 89901 Old Hwy, Tavernier, FL 33070
  • Marathon High School -- 350 Sombrero Beach Rd, Marathon, FL 33050
  • Key West High School --  2100 Flagler Ave, Key West, FL 33040
  • Sugarloaf School -- 255 Crane Blvd, Summerland Key, FL 33042

You can also download the American Red Cross's Hurricane app, which will show you a map of open shelters nearby. 

This story was originally published on October 4, 2016. The information has been updated with the most recent links for each county. 

Tim Padgett is the Americas Editor for WLRN, covering Latin America, the Caribbean and their key relationship with South Florida. Contact Tim at tpadgett@wlrnnews.org
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