"My house will not exist next week:" Florida Keys evacuees brace for Hurricane Irma

MIAMI — The Smiths have always thought they could ride out tropical storms — even ignoring evacuation orders — in the 20 years they have lived in the Florida Keys.

But the possibility of a Category 5 hurricane hitting their Key Largo home changed their mind, so they adhered to a mandatory evacuation order for the Keys. They put up shutters on their two-story concrete house and left around 5 a.m. Thursday. They left behind a daughter who didn't want to evacuate and four cats.

Ken and Audrey Smith were among the first few dozen people who arrived at a shelter for Monroe County residents at Florida International University on Thursday afternoon.

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The Smiths considered driving farther north but wanted to avoid congestion on Florida highways as drivers fled Hurricane Irma. They brought few belongings such as clothes and food and were hoping the Red Cross would provide cots for sleeping. Volunteers said Thursday afternoon the charity would provide food but no cots were available at the time.

"This was the best of the bad options we had," said Ken Smith, 69. 

The shelter at the FIU Recreation Center can accommodate about 250 people, including some with special needs. A sports gymnasium was converted into a sleeping room where people sat on the floor and strangers became friends. Some packed their clothes in plastic trash bags.

Most of them didn't bring mattresses or sleeping bags. They didn't know what awaits them when they return to the Keys and many expected to find rubble. 

"Based on modeling I've seen today, my house will not exist next week," said Key Largo resident Tim Grollimund, 62, who lives in a mobile home.

Ruined vacation

Marcos Limo arrived here after his Miami Beach hotel was evacuated. He and his wife are on vacation in Miami from Peru and were supposed to go on a cruise to the Bahamas on Friday. They tried to fly back to Lima but there were no flights until next week, he said. He plans to ride out the storm and go to Orlando to enjoy the rest of his vacation before he goes back on Sept. 18.

Limo said he will avoid hurricane season next time he visits Florida. The last time he was here was 20 years ago.

"I had the illusion of traveling on a cruise ship," Limo said in Spanish. "No one thought there would be a hurricane this year."

Moving in and evacuating

Ted Grab hasn't finished his unpacking after moving to Summerland Key from Miami two months ago. He drove four hours to the FIU shelter to escape storm surges that could raise life-threatening water levels by 5 to 10 feet, according to the National Hurricane Center.

As Grab sat next to his belongings — a few bags, a thermal bottle and a blanket — he worried about not having a mattress or cot to sleep on, but said he's happy to be in a safe location.

With the shelter expected to reach full capacity in the next few days, Grab, 74, predicted "it's going to a long four days."