Reply #63: It was never mandatory for Charlotte County . . .

[TeeYiYi]

. . . it was only voluntary, and as you say, late at that. By the time the hurricane had changed from a category 2 to a category 3 (briefly) and then to a category 4 (in less than 45 minutes) and was heading straight for Charlotte Harbor there was no time to evacuate; with the possible exception of finding a local shelter. The last place you want to be in a category 4 hurricane is in your car and stuck in a traffic jam while trying to make a last minute dash for safety.

EVACUATIONS: Mandatory for visitors, nonresidents and mobile home residents in Monroe County (Florida Keys). Pinellas and Hillsborough counties have asked up to 680,000 Tampa Bay residents to evacuate from coastal or low-lying areas. Mandatory for tourists and residents of coastal areas of Lee, Sarasota, Hernando counties, Manatee, Pasco and Marco Island, Everglades City, and points in Naples in Collier County. Voluntary for people in Glades, Levy, Charlotte, DeSoto, Taylor, and other parts of Collier County that aren't mandatory.

http://cbs4.com/floridanews/FL--TropicalWeather-D-dn/resources_news_html

TYY