The news reported that a Tropical Storm was developing in the Atlantic Ocean. Okay, I thought, its way out there and probably not coming towards Southwest Florida. The projections were showing that her path, if it came further west, would take a turn East of Florida and head north along the coast of Florida, not making land fall.

Irma grew up quickly and became a Category 5 Hurricane. Miss Irma or Irmageddon as some people were beginning to refer to her, has a mind of her own. She will go wherever she wants and NO ONE is going to stop her.

This hurricane is going to be a monster. Irma’s winds reportedly are sustained at over 185 miles per hour with gusts over 200 and her span is professed to be 750 miles. That is wider than the entire state of Florida. The Governor is suggesting that people evacuate! It is time to make some plans.

Plan A:

I get on the computer and book a flight for Saturday September 9th early in the morning. All good, feel confident. My house is going to be boarded up and my neighbor will take my dog.

Plan B:

Uh Oh, plans change. The airline has canceled my flight. Okay, Irma is still heading up the East coast according to ALL the models. I’ll stay with friends. Am confident that things will be okay.

Plan C:

Oh my,  Miss Irma seems to be planning a visit right to my house. That’s not good. . .
I get on the computer and the phone. I have a flight I’m about to buy when the voice on the phone says “Don’t bother, we are canceling ALL those flights. I don’t know when you’ll be able to get a refund. Good luck to you.”

Oh dear.

Plan D:

My Son-in-Law calls and texts me. He has some phone numbers for me to call. People he knows who have helicopters and planes. OMG. The first one I call offers to fly me out of Florida for a measly fee of, brace yourself, $80,000.00. Yup you read that right, Eighty Thousand Dollars!

Next call was to a helicopter company. Nope, they were staying put and stopped flying that morning.

Plan E:

Okay, back to staying with friends. Again, the Governor is strongly suggesting that people evacuate. There is talk about a 15 foot storm surge. Oh Dear.

Plan F:

One more shot at getting a flight. It is Thursday evening Irma is scheduled to arrive on Sunday. I had been on the computer earlier and had given up. Suddenly, I said to myself: “I decline to be discouraged.”

I spent the next 4 hours with my lap top on one side and the desk top computer on the other going to different sites looking for flights. Interestingly, I could go to Puerto Rico no problem. Everything was booked. I tried Boston, St Paul, Chicago, Seattle. You name it, I typed it. Then I decided to try again, alphabetically. Guess what, Albuquerque had a seat!. I booked it faster than you can say ‘Irmageddon’! AND I checked in. I was not going to loose that seat!

It was 12:30 Friday morning and my bags had been packed for sometime. Sleep was difficult for the past week but I gave it a whirl. When I got up at 4am, I found a text message from one of the friends who had offered shelter. They were leaving in a couple of hours and I was welcome to travel with them. I text that I was going to the airport as I had a confirmed ticket and was also evacuating.

By now, I am in a controlled panic. Just get to the airport is my mantra. I drive to the airport arriving at 6 am for a 4 pm flight. I park the car and take a photo of the space and another one of the general area and then I walkstraight to the ticket counter and ask for some help. The sweet girl at the counter puts me on standby status for any of the upcoming flights should there be an opening. She guaranteed that my seat would still be there if I didn’t get on any of the other flights.

None of the standbys work out. My flight took off, no problem. I have a tight schedule in Atlanta but I make it to the next gate and am on the plane to Albuquerque! Thank goodness for my friend who lives there. She takes me in for a few days. On Sunday morning, I fly to California to be with my daughter.

My son-in-law has the news on and I watch Miss Irma as she comes to call in Florida. First the Keys, Marco Island and then Naples and Estero and points North she blows. My home is north and a bit west of there. Luckily. Not too much damage at my house but oh the destruction Irma created along her path.

God Bless anyone who stayed and ‘weathered’ this Irmageddon. We survived another one.

My Hurrication would soon be over.

Okay on to Plan A. Getting back home . .

Frances Graziano Copyright 2017 All Rights Reserved