The Keys got hammered.

[B2G]

Think a good thought for them.

[Not Ruth]

1. Mostly they evacuated, so they did fairly well in terms of survival

[B2G]

2. CNN reporting up to 10K stayed. nt

[Warpy]

7. I'm not surprised, it's a point of honor for lifers down there

I just hope nobody stayed on those seaside houseboats. Bayside did a little better, but not much.

[cwydro]

6. The Keys have a population of 75 to 80,000.

As of the night before the storm hit, about 30, 000 had left. That's less than half.

Some may have left in the last few hours, but not many. So no, mostly they did NOT evacuate.

And now, authorities are not allowing anyone who evacuated to return. This is why so many don't leave. Never mind all the psychological armchair analysis I saw here on DU on one thread. They don't leave because they know they won't BE ABLE TO GET BACK.

They did that in Georges, and people were infuriated. This is why I never left, and this is why most don't leave. Nothing to do with "denial" or "rum drinks", as I saw proposed as reasons in one thread.

A KW commissioner was on CNN today, and said that in KW, they only knew of possibly two fatalities, and they did not think they were storm related.

All my friends, but one, stayed. All are fine. Thank god. My friend who left fled with her family to Clearwater, then had to leave there as the path changed. Rode it out in Orlando. Now stuck, not knowing when they can come back. No way of knowing the condition of their house. She's frantic.

[Not Ruth]

12. Roadblock, and no cell service, power or water

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Residents-of-Florida-Keys-Frustrated-at-Roadblock-Keeping-Them-From-Returning-Irma-443772483.html

[MontanaMama]

3. I have a customer that lives on

Big Pine Key. She has a huge vintage pedal car collection in her home...I wonder if any of that was saved?

[cwydro]

4. I'm so glad to know that everyone I know in KW who stayed is alive and well.

One of the commissioners was on CNN today, and she said the damage was not near what they expected. The surge in KW was not as bad as Wilma, though I think it was much worse further up the Keys.

It seems Big Coppitt to Summerland suffered the most. Big Coppitt is largely trailer homes. God help them.

The "authorities" are, of course, not allowing anyone who evacuated to return "until further notice". This is why people don't leave. That's why I never left. Ridiculous not to allow people to return to their property. Those who didn't leave are already cleaning up and helping others.

They did that nonsense in Georges too, and there was a huge backlash. Many vowed never to evacuate again, and since less than half did this time - looks like they meant it. Very few of us left for Wilma. I never regretted it, though it was a scary 48 hours.

[B2G]

5. It sounds like Key West, Big Pine and Cudjoe took the worst of it.

They are still assessing bridges and roadways. No way can they let anyone back in yet.

[cwydro]

9. Key West is not as bad as the Keys just barely north of them.

Big Coppitt to Summerland (north of Cudjoe and Big Pine) took the brunt, as you say.

It's a damn mess there, but they'll be back pretty quick. Keys folk are tough and damn resilient.

And not drunks, as so many on this board seem to think.

I understand about the bridges, but in Georges, they kept a long line of evacuees waiting at the checkpoint as truck after truck of National Guard rolled by. I saw them rolling in, but they told the residents "it wasn't safe" to return.

You can imagine how you'd feel if you needed to get home. Anyway, just trying to explain why so many don't leave.

I saw some nasty threads here about the fools in the Keys, "better put their SSN on their arms", "hope they have no next of kin" kind of crap. I know you're not one of those, but god, that annoyed the crap out of me. And I found it disappointing. No doubt, now those same posters are disappointed their gloom and doom forecasts were not fulfilled.

Rant over.

[DinahMoeHum]

8. Looks like the grotto at St. Mary's did it again. . .

. . .divine protection and all that. . .

http://stmarykeywest.com/grotto/

I remember back in 2005 when we "Parrotheads" gathered in KW for our annual convention about 10 days after Wilma side-swiped the island.. The Sunday I was there, I took a candle to the grotto at St. Mary's to pay homage to the good Sister Louisa Gabriel, who thought up the idea way back then.

I read that all the pussums at the Hemingway house made it through OK as well.

[cwydro]

10. We always went to the Grotto before a hurricane.

A friend's sister sheltered there with the nuns this time. She and her family rode it out in the church. Everyone is fine.

The nuns always stay. And yes, the kitties are all good!

[underpants]

11. Is Alonzo's okay?!?! Their mojitos are awesome

Hand cranked sugar cane press.

My wife had four ... which she announced to everyone we passed on the street that night.