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Hurricane Irma: Over 5mn under evacuation orders in Florida
Miami, Sep 9 (IANS) Hurricane Irma, which is expected to cause havoc in southeastern US, has resulted in an evacuation order for over 5 million people throughout Florida, state authorities said.
Florida hurricane programme manager, Andrew Sussman said late Friday night that about 5.6 million Floridians have received the evacuation order due to the mortal threat that Irma poses, now a Category 4 hurricane and whose effects are expected to be felt statewide, reports Efe new.
“Not tonight. Not in an hour. Now,” said state governor Rick Scott from the capital, Tallahassee, stressing on the urgency of people who have received an evacuation order to leave their homes and go to shelters.
On Thursday night, Scott ordered the shutdown of all state colleges and universities until next week in order to make them available as shelters from Irma’s first effects, whose eye will reach South Florida on Sunday morning.
However, many shelters set up in Miami-Dade County and neighbouring Broward have closed their doors having reached their maximum capacity on Friday.
In Miami-Dade County itself an evacuation order has been issued for more than 650,000 people, the largest so far, as reported by local daily Miami Herald.
Between Thursday and Friday, the northern state highways have reported considerable traffic jams in what is already an unprecedented exodus of residents and tourists visiting South Florida.
Florida Power and Light Company (FPL), a leading provider of electricity in the state, has anticipated that at least 4.1 million clients will lose power as a result of the impact of Irma approaching Florida.
FPL forecast widespread damage in areas where it provides service in addition to significant impact on areas with more population and have already stationed 13,500 workers in the state, especially in South Florida, for rapid response to emergencies, the company said in a statement Friday.
In accordance with federal mandates, the firm has issued an Unusual Event statement to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to proceed with the gradual closure of the nuclear plants.
According to the National Hurricane Centre (NHC), projections indicate that Irma would pass more towards the western coast of the state, away from Miami which has the highest population density.
Currently, the hurricane made landfall in Cuba’s Camaguey archipelago at 11 p.m. on Friday night.
At least 24 people were killed this week when Irma pummelled northern Caribbean islands such as Barbuda and the Virgin Islands.
When it had first made landfall on Wednesday morning, Irma sustained maximum wind speeds of at least 185 mph for at least 37 hours, longer than any storm on record.
The Red Cross estimates 1.2 million people have already been battered by the storm.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.