I read in the newspaper that 2.5 million Florida residents were told to leave their homes. Lets assume that 60% of those people actually leave, that is alot of travelers!

The media always shows alots of people sleeping in schools and other sturdy government buildings during hurricanes but only a small fraction of people actually could put up with living 300 to a school gym or community center. I would think that the average middle class person would travel somewhere else. Though I hear that all the hotels in Florida are full.

Are they going to Georgia, South Carolina or North Dakota? Where would two million people travel to ---to get away from the storm?

I heard a couple reports that many were going to the west coast of Florida and southern part of the Keys.

Our newspaper in New Orleans suggests some are flying here. Many of the city's hotels were already near capacity and are now expecting to be full.

About half of them are in Naples if I'm correct judging from the traffic. Many have come here because it seemed pretty likely that it is the one place in South Florida (well, other than the extreme keys) where we will only feel the outer wrath of the storm. So those on the Southeast coast felt it was smarter than joining all the others trying to head north.
Unfortunately, Naples was already pretty well booked for the Labor Day weekend, plus filled with workers from Charley who couldn't get lodging further north. The say the hotel phones have been ringing off the hooks but there have been no rooms available since early Thursday.

My brother who lives near Palm Beach decided to get in his car and drive north yesterday. He called me from near Jacksonville last night. For some reason unclear to me, he just called and left a message that he is now in Vidalia, GA. Maybe he is just taking a drive to pick up some onions.

I think evacuate for many includes more inland shelters - but I agree that since this storm is moving so slowly, that will get old very fast.

And, my condo and others I know sit vacant. I haven't had one call from an evacuee. I'm a bit baffled by that.

It feels like all of Vero Beach and Melbourne are in our hotel. 300 rooms sold in 45 minutes Wednesday...100 more than the vacancies available, actually. As expected though, and thank heavens (!), it was a wash with people cancelling who had been coming from elsewhere in the country for a "nice" relaxing Labor Day Weekend in the sun.

I don't know. Got any extra room at your house, Bunch?

Since we aren't totally out of it yet, they aren't coming here. This storm has destroyed the tail end of our season which will have a large economic impact on South Carolina.

CNN said a while ago that there are mostly no rooms available in Georgia or Alabama. So I guess there are a few Floridians there.
I fear many of them are still sitting on I 95

I know people that went from Melbourne to Atlanta, and some that went from Ft. Lauderdale all the way to NYC. But, both of these parties have friends/family to stay with in those areas. Other east coast friends have gone over to the west coast to stay with relatives.

This life long Floridian is staying home in West Palm Beach !

The evacuation zone is only about 2 miles from the ocean and anyone in cheap housing.

When I was growing up, anyone evac. from the beach went into town - now they go to IOWA !!

Trust your house and your preps., many people are sorry they left and then have the return trip ! Ugh.

My sister refused to leave Key West to join me in Central Florida, and it looks like she was right! (Again!) Key West will be relatively untouched and Frances will go right over us.

I-75 has been bumper to bumper since yesterday morning so I guess they;re all going to Georgia.

it's kind of hard to figure out what to do on this one. Now I'm hearing it's supposed to landfall in Ft. Piere? I thought it was Vero Beach?

Anybody want to bet that it's just going to waste away into nothingness? It's soooooo slow. I'll wager that we won't have ANY wind damage on the west coast when it makes its way over here.

All of my family that live in Kissimmee, Florida flew to Atlanta - except a single cousin who is a council member for Osceloa County. He (and his wife who is my actual cousin) are sticking around to do I don't know what except be a sounding board and tape up the rest of the families houses. I can't wait to talk to them when this is over. This one scares the beejeebees out of me!!

I have a friend who's a realtor in Townsend, TN and has leased two cabins to Floridians escaping the storm.

FYI, at least one of the shelters in Manatee County now accepts pets as long as the owners follow the rules.

My brother finally ended up in a cheap hotel in Augusta, GA - said there are quite a few Florida escapees there as well.

Jayne, Our Rooms Exec was helping on the front drive as people started arriving. They came in batches with lines of cars in the drive waiting to unload. Among the smiling faces looking out their windows, eager to hop out of the car finally , were some that had distinctly elongated faces, culminating in pointy noses with tongues lolling from happy mouths. Floppy ears too and some of those people...can you imagine...even had waggy tails! Strange folk, those east coasters! ((&))

The news footage from South FL of the dogs and cats that have yet to be claimed from that place where the lost pets were housed after Charley is heartbreaking. Those pups look up at the camera with hopeful faces as if saying "Are you coming to get me please please?" Makes me want to run right down and take a few...though that'd probably be the end of our 17 year old one-eyed kittie who has never seen a dog up close and personal. Did I read that you are a foster mom to some?

This morning I heard on the news about the cows and horses who are let loose to find High Ground. But in Central Florida, there is little High Ground.
I am hoping so much that this storm really fizzles out before terrible loss is suffered all around.
Take care everyone,
Scarlett, Hurricane virgin

My aunt lives in Estero (a little north of Naples) and is housing other relatives who live in the Orlando area. She was just on the fringes of Charlie, and hopes that is also the case with Frances.