From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
One area official estimates that more than 30,000 evacuees, mostly Florida residents, stayed in hotels and motels in the greater Birmingham area over the weekend.
Many Floridians fled their home state because of the threat from Hurricane Irma.
John Oros, Jr., president and CEO of the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau, said figures he cited were derived from his review of a report from Smith Travel Research, a provider of marketplace data.
” This does not include public facilities used as shelters, RV parks, private homes, campgrounds, etc,” Oros stated in a press release. “Most likely the number could be closer to 40,000.”
Oros added that during the four-day period, hotel occupancy in the area was around 90 percent.