Kevin Smith Wittily Asks Mother In Florida To Evacuate Before Hurricane Irma

Filmmaker and actor Kevin Smith cited his controversial 1999 movie “Dogma” to jokingly suggest to his religious mother why God wouldn't spare her when Hurricane Irma strikes Florida over the weekend.

Smith tweeted Thursday he asked his mother, who lives in Florida, to evacuate her home as staying there with a hurricane approaching wouldn't be a wise thing to do.

However, his persuasion fell on deaf ears as his mother had enough faith that the Almighty would keep her safe.

“I'm staying. God will protect me,” Smith said his mother told him.

However, the filmmaker was less than optimistic that his mother would be entitled to God’s grace after he directed, produced and acted in a film which openly mocked many concepts Catholics hold dear. Smith tweeted:

In “Dogma,” two fallen angels — played by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon — plot to find a loophole which would let them get back into Heaven. There is only one problem with their plan — if they managed to succeed, God’s infallible word would be rendered false, which would make his creation — earth, humans and all — to go out of existence, i09 reported.

The screening of the movie as part of the New York film festival in 1999 was greeted with protests by The Catholic League outside the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts; they were also joined by the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property, the Guardian reported.

The League also published fliers which read: "This film mocks everything we hold sacred — God, the Church, the Mass and Mary's virginity. It condones what we condemn — murder, obscenity, violence, profanity, drugs, drunkenness and rebellion!''

Meanwhile, authorities in Florida are bracing themselves for the impact of the hurricane.

Gov. Rick Scott has ordered mandatory evacuations of Miami Dade County, Broward County, Marco Island and Monroe County.

Apart from these areas, the entire state has been advised to keep a close watch on updates about Irma’s progress and local alerts issued by authorities and make necessary evacuations accordingly, according to the Florida government's website.

Scott also called a press conference Thursday to reiterate that people whose houses were in the evacuation zone shouldn't waste time in heading to a safe place.

"We cannot save you when the storm starts," Scott said in the press conference. "So if you are in an evacuation zone and you need help, you need to tell us now."

"You do not want to leave on Saturday, driving through Florida with tropical storm force winds," CNN meteorologist Tom Sater said. He said the latest Floridians should evacuate is Friday morning.

Most Floridians did not have to be told twice about staying clear of the hurricane's path. As soon as the news of Hurricane Irma being upgraded to a Category 5 storm came in (it was later downgraded to Category 4), concerned residents started looking for alternative shelters.

“We’re just evacuating, getting out-of-town before everybody else does,” said Key West resident Luann Huff, CBS Miami reported. “If it stays on this course, then I’m gone,” said Florida Keys resident Cedric Burns. “I’m not going to stay.”

Even those who had come to the Sunshine State to spend a vacation, are not staying put. Eric Bradway, who was visiting Key West from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, did not even want to wait until Wednesday to leave. “It’s going to be crazy getting out of here, gridlock,” said Bradway, “Getting out of the Keys, there’s only one way in and one way out. It’s going to be crazy.”

Coastal counties are working with the American Red Cross to set up a number of shelters to for people with special needs, pets and general populations, according to the state website.