Fun with Irma

Watching the path of Irma a week ago we were unconcerned as the path showed it on course up the east coast about 150 miles from us. Sure, we would get tropical storm conditions, but nothing we had not encountered before.

Then the NWS moved it inland 50 miles. That was vexing, but we stayed firm in our plans to stay put on Siesta Key. 12 hours later the projected path was moved another 50 miles west and closer to us with a voluntary evacuation recommended . We remained semi-firm. Finally, late on Friday morning a mandatory evacuation order was issued. We considered our options for a couple minutes and decided to flee in panic with a few million other Florida residents.

Interstate 75 was so horrible, it was almost like a normal travel day on Interstate 95. We arrived at De Anne's sisters' home Saturday afternoon making the 8 hour trip in 11 hours. Sunday we helped secure all items that could blow and awaited a degraded Irma to arrive.

Even seriously depleted Irma still had some punching power. Monday afternoon an enormous oak tree in their back yard fell. It went the only direction possible to miss a house but managed to fill the backyards of two neighbors. The oak slid down another large tree, which horizontally joined the first an hour later.

Base of oak with dog included for scale.

Good news from our next door neighbor. She stayed with family on the mainland in Sarasota and let us know the condo complex weathered Irma unscathed. Our refugee status with be temporary.