Florida Sheriff's Office To Sex Offenders: Jail Is Your Irma Shelter

PHILADELPHIA (CBS)—The Polk County Sheriff's Office in Florida says sex offenders are not allowed in their shelters as the state braces for Hurricane Irma.

On Wednesday, Florida residents picked store shelves clean and long lines formed at gas pumps as Hurricane Irma, a Category 5 monster with potentially catastrophic winds of 185 mph, steamed toward the Sunshine State and a possible direct hit on the Miami metropolitan area of nearly 6 million people.

But if you're a sex offender, authorities say an Irma shelter is not the place for you.

In a series of tweets, the sheriff's office says any sex offenders attempting to gain entry into a shelter will be moved to a secure shelter: jail.

"Sex offenders/predators will not be allowed. If you go to a shelter for #Irma and you have a warrant, we'll gladly escort you to the safe and secure shelter called the Polk County Jail," said authorities.

"We cannot and we will not have innocent children in a shelter with sexual offenders & predators. Period," the Polk County Sheriff's Office added.