Rising pressure from evacuees to be allowed to return to Florida Keys

BY PRU SOWERS

KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER

A growing chorus of complaints from Key West residents who left in front of Hurricane Irma has created a virtual shoving match between evacuees and local and county officials.

As the one-week anniversary of Irma walloping Key West and the entire state of Florida draws near, people who heeded the mandatory evacuation order are growing increasingly anxious to return to their homes and businesses to assess the damage and begin what will likely be a lengthy clean-up operation. Key West City Commissioner Sam Kaufman said calls on social media from residents demanding to be allowed to return are growing louder. Mayor Craig Cates, who did not evacuate, took to Facebook via his daughter, Tammy Cates Berard, urging evacuees to be patient and under no circumstances to attempt to return yet.

“I know a lot of people want to return to inspect their property and start cleaning up. The problem is that it is not safe with the water situation. If someone gets sick, there is not a complete functioning hospital to treat you,” Mayor Cates said. “There is also not enough available fuel in the Keys yet to sustain more people and vehicles. When we have the infrastructure up and running, capable of handling residents, then we will reopen. Please be patient.”

But Cates’ Facebook post drew as many complaints as compliments. Key West Architect Owen Trepanier, who often appears before various Key West regulatory board, including the city commission, seeking approval for his clients’ projects, said he believes people need to be allowed to return.

“The mantra of not being safe just doesn’t jive with the information now coming out unfiltered through the [Monroe County Emergency Operations Center]. Reports of first responders partying at certain bars after the pesky residents are sent home at curfew. Reports of law enforcement refusing entry for supply vehicles, engineers and contractors. Evacuees are getting extremely anxious,” Trepanier wrote.

Another comment to Cates’ post came from Sharon Crossley, a Keys resident.

“I have been through every hurricane for 50-plus years. I never evacuated. I can tell you I won’t again and unfortunately there are many people that will not because we have not been allowed back to protect our property. We have generators, we have supplies. We are not stupid,” she wrote.

Former Key West City Commissioner Tony Yaniz, who did not evacuate, took up the cause for people clamoring to be allowed to return. He said that people need to return to reestablish their lives in the community.

“I am calling on our Mayor [Craig Cates] and Commissioners, as well as Senator Marco Rubio and Congressman Carlos Curbelo, to stand up and fight for our friends and families that want to come home! Our basic needs are on, or coming on line, people need to come home! They can no longer afford financially and spiritually to stay away! If they are held back any longer, good luck getting them to evacuate next time,” Yaniz said

But that is exactly what local and Monroe County officials do not want to happen. While power and cell phone service was restored to large parts of Key West Friday, there is still limited water service. The Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority is fixing a large number of leaks in the water lines, which have been shedding millions of gallons of water. While water pressure is slowly making its way down the Keys, it is unknown how long it will take Key West to have running water. Heather Carruthers, Monroe County Commissioner, said people should not plan to return by car, boat or airplane until they receive official confirmation that it is safe.

“Look at [the] Monroe County BOCC Facebook page. As City Manager Jim Scholl has said, ‘We do not need a single other mouth to feed. We do not need one more body to drink water or flush a toilet. In fact, we need to get refugees out.’ So, everyone, please be patient,” Carruthers said.

There are five local and county officials who will make the decision on when the roadblocks on US 1 will be removed: Key West City Manager Jim Scholl, Monroe County Emergency Management Director Martin Senterfitt, Monroe County Commissioner George Neugent, Monroe County Administrator Roman Gastesi, and Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsey. Residents’ safety will be the deciding factor. Until then, Commissioner Sam Kaufman said evacuees need to wait

“There is a lot of anxiety and concerns about their property and their businesses,” he said. “It’s going to take some time. Let Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority and Keys Energy do their job.”

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