NewsPalm Beach CountyRegion C Palm Beach County

Actions

460 inmates evacuated from Florida Keys to Palm Beach County

Posted at
and last updated

Officials in the Florida Keys are evacuating some 460 inmates and 125 corrections officers from a jail on Stock Island to a facility in Palm Beach County.

RELATED: More hurricane stories | Download WPTV app | Follow WPTV on Facebook | Evacuation orders | Flood maps | Shelter Openings | Price-Gouging Hotline |  Hurricane Hacks

 

Spokeswoman Becky Herrin said in a news release that Sheriff Rick Ramsey made the decision Friday night because of the changing path of Hurricane Irma. The jail on Stock Island, which is near Key West on the lower end on the island chain.

The inmates and staff were loaded onto buses early Saturday for the trip north.

Herrin said the jail is built to withstand a Category 5 hurricane.

Ramsey says "moving this many inmates this quickly is a tough job," adding they "got on the road without incident."