Letter to Editor / Hurricane Evacuation
The 5pm advisory on Friday was a game changer for me. I quickly packed the car with some essentials and the dogs and hit the road, planning to meet up with a group of friends who left the island a few hours prior Despite some rain and gusty winds the journey was surprisingly good and I was even able to get gas on the Turnpike.
Out little group managed to secure a much sought after room outside of Orlando. Although exhausted we soon realized we had struck lucky as our hotel turned out to be one of the very few that did not lose power once Irma finally caught up with us. The hotel was full with evacuees and their pets from all over South Florida. There was a real feeling of camaraderie among. It was like being in shelter but with a lot of home comforts.
Our time was spent searching Facebook for updates and information on our friends who remained on the island. Despite having many comforts the anxiety of not hearing from people was excruciating. We did what we could to pass on updates and information on people as it became available. We also tried our best to intercept false information and fake fundraising pages from those determined to benefit from this tragedy.
As people checked in as safe we were able to breathe a sigh of relief and waited to hear when we could return to our homes. For many, not being able to return immediately was the worst part of evacuating. For us we were just grateful that Key West came through better than expected and that our friends were all safe. At the end of the day we decided there is no ‘good’ option when it comes to hurricanes. It is just that one option is a lot safer than the other. Debating whether we would evacuate the next time we decided that maybe it was far better to regret leaving than it would be to regret staying.
Babs Wade
Key West Vacation Center
Tel: 1-800-407-1522 (toll free)
Fax: 1-866 564 4154 (toll free)
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