Twitter A video shows looters stealing from stores in Fort Lauderdale during Hurricane Irma.
Video shot by ABC 10 News in Fort Lauderdale shows a group of looters stealing from a store in broad daylight during Hurricane Irma.
The video, shot while dangerous winds and heavy rain fell, shows a store window shattered and a group of hooded individuals entering and leaving the store with what appears to be shoe boxes.
Watch the video below:
#BREAKING Local 10 cameras catch looters breaking into stores in Fort Lauderdale during #Irma t.co/45ESxKpUdk
That wasn’t the only incident of looting in the area, however. WPLG Miami Reporter Sanela Sabovic caught another group of people looting a Foot Locker store on Sunrise Blvd.
More looting in Ft Lauderdale during #IRMA. Watch as these ppl steal shoes from the Foot Locker on Sunrise Blvd. #pathetic @WPLGLocal10
A short while later, Fort Lauderdale City Manager Lee Feldman tweeted a photo of a looter being arrested by police. He warned that those caught will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent.
know that looting is not acceptable in #FtLauderdale even during the height of #IRMA2017 we will arrest @FTLCityNews @FLPD411 @JackSeiler
On Monday, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department announced it arrested almost 20 people for “burglarizing businesses and residences” in the area.
#FLPD UPDATE: We’ve arrested 19 people for burglarizing businesses & residences in #FortLauderdale throughout #HurricaneIrma
The Daytona Police Department also caught looters breaking into stores during Irma, it announced Monday.
The looting came just as Fort Lauderdale started to feel the effects of Irma, which made landfall in many parts of Florida on Sunday morning. At least three people have been reported dead and over 2 million are left without electricity. Irma made landfall in the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm and has since been downgraded to a Category 3.
Miami felt winds approaching 100 mph, and a crane nearby a high-rise construction project collapsed in the downtown area.
#GOES16 captured this geocolor image of #Irma‘s eye over the Florida Keys at approx. 9:00 am EDT. Latest info @ t.co/cSGOfrM0lG.
On Sunday afternoon, a tornado was reported on the ground near Fort Lauderdale airport and Interstate 595.
“Fast-moving tornado just reported at Fort Lauderdale International Airport moving NW crossing I-595,” the NWS tweeted.
Tornado warnings had been issued for various parts of Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties as a large thunderstorm went up the coast.
Irma’s presence has forced one of the largest evacuations in United States history, with over 5 million people being under some kind of evacuation orders. Florida Gov. Rick Scott had declared a state of emergency Monday and continuously urged Floridians to take precautions.
“Do not think the storm is over when the wind slows down,” Scott said at a briefing Saturday. The dangerous storm surge “will rush in and could kill you. You need to stay in a safe place. Be prepared, listen to local evacuation advisories.”