Florida Horse Owners Brace for Hurricane Irma

Some have evacuated and others are ready to shelter horses in place ahead of Irma’s heavy rains and tropical winds.
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Owners throughout Florida have already left the state with their horses or are ready to shelter their animals in place as they prepare for the heavy rains and tropical winds Hurricane Irma is expected to bring the state this weekend.

Beginning as a tropical storm, Irma began swirling in the Atlantic on Aug. 31. The following day, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) upgraded the storm to hurricane status and projected that it would devastate the Caribbean and bring heavy rains and winds reaching nearly 150 miles per hour to Key West, Miami, and other points on Florida’s southern coast. Irma’s wrath was on display Wednesday and overnight as it ravaged islands including Barbuda, St. Marten, and Puerto Rico, among others.

Also on Wednesday, Florida Governor Rick Scott encouraged evacuations by comparing the storm to Hurricane Andrew which caused 65 deaths and more than $47 billion of damages to the state in 1992. Miami-Dade County officials began recommending the evacuation of Miami and the Florida Keys.

But some horse owners didn’t wait for official orders. On Tuesday, Taryn Sport Vincent started relocating horses from her training barn in Miami to property she owns in the Atlanta, Georgia, area

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Written by:

Pat Raia is a veteran journalist who enjoys covering equine welfare, industry, and news. In her spare time, she enjoys riding her Tennessee Walking Horse, Sonny.

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