Heavy volume of traffic escaping Hurricane Irma

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Thousands of Florida evacuees were on interstates making their way into the Carolinas and out of Hurricane Irma’s path.

North Carolina State Highway Patrol Troopers said they were expecting a major influx of drivers mainly on Interstate 77 North out of South Carolina.

“We're expecting large volumes due to large evacuations,” Trooper Ray Pierce said. “We don’t have exact number but know they will be filled to capacity."

Pierce said troopers spent much of Friday removing abandoned vehicles from the sides of the interstates. They wanted to make room for emergency vehicles to be able to move around on the congested roadways.

Some estimates say nearly 6 million people live in the evacuated counties of South Florida.  Many of them funneled onto the same highway, I-95 North, and many of them headed toward the Carolinas.

Michel Lanoue, who’s from Florida, told Channel 9 he was grateful to have made it out of South Florida.

“Couldn't stay everybody, had to evacuate. I thought it be best if I go up north,” Lanoue said.

Lanoue said traffic on I-95 was moving very slowly.

He was on his way to stay with family in Harrisburg.  He said his thoughts were with other Floridians who hadn’t made it out yet.

“My hope is that everybody gets out of Florida because that hurricane is bad,” Lanoue said.

Cox Media Group