MIAMI, Sept 9 (AFP) - US authorities on Thursday ordered tourists and mobile home residents in the Florida Keys to leave the island chain at the tip of the southeastern state as powerful Hurricane Ivan barreled across the Caribbean.
While mobile home residents and visitors were ordered to leave, homeowners were only encouraged to evacuate.
The Category Five storm, with winds of up to 260 kilometers (160 miles) per hour, devastated the tiny island of Grenada as it moved toward Jamaica. At least 14 people in Grenada, Tobago and Venezuela have died.
Monroe County authorities, who have jurisdiction over the Florida Keys, ordered the closure of all schools and offices starting at 1900 GMT Thursday, Mary Kay, a county official, told AFP.
Mobile homes will be evacuated at 5:00 pm (2100 GMT).
Draw bridges will remain in a horizontal position to facilitate the islands' evacuation, which must begin by 1100 GMT Friday.
Authorities in Miami-Dade County are "just monitoring the storm" so far and communicating with the National Hurricane Center, county spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez said.
The storm could be close to Florida in four to five days, said Robert Molleda, a National Hurricane Center meteorologist.