I talked to Cathy a few minutes ago. She is a bit inland from Tampa and has boarded up the house, will secure the 3 kitties and will go to a neighbors with others in her area. I have asked her to keep in touch if and when she can. I will keep everyone posted.

Donna is more inland and is hunkering down also. I just heard from her. I asked that she keep in touch also.

If anyone has contact info on Bobby (Vacuumfreak?) please share. I think he is more in the Orlando area.

I have met so many 9 years ago at a get together at Cathy's so I am very worried. I know I am missing people.

If you believe in prayer, please start praying. This is one b*tch of a storm.

Bobby will be celebrating his birthday with Irma.

dcarch

I've also contacted Beachlily/Arlene, who has evacuated and is staying in Alabama, she was on one of the barrier islands on the east side of the state. I got the same information from Cathy that Peppi has, she's worried about the mature oaks on her property and the damage they could cause. My old boss and friend Chrystal lives in Bonita Springs, hopefully she's safely evacuated because I haven't heard back from her.

Annie

I have so many friends in the path of that storm......worry worry....

Oh, I was hoping Cathy had left the area. Thanks, Peppi, for keeping us posted.

Same here, Linda.

I have relatives in Cuba and my mom lives in Miami.

Very worried for everyone in Irma's path.

Sol

Just popped in here to see if there was news of Cathy and others. Looks like the west coast and panhandle will take the brunt of the storm. I'm glad Cathy will not be alone. If they are inland, perhaps they will not be affected by the storm surge. I have cousins who live on the west coast and they have all their hurricane shutters in place and will ride it out. If they had known the track of the storm sooner, they would have left. Wishing anyone in the path a safe ride!

Cathy, you and others are part of a prayer chain that was started this morning. Now, remember, contact me sometime on Sunday for updates.

Pep, my Grief Share group this week spent the majority of our meeting planning on ways we can help Irma victims including several prayer sessions.

I plan on being on the "helping" end not the "helped" end so your prayers will move me towards that goal.

Mustangs, I just posted to you. Should have read a little farther down. Glad to hear you prepped, but wish you could have left. I have relatives and friends all over Florida and sending up lots of prayers for all of you down there. I'm also including people in the other states that could be adversely affected by this horrible storm.

So frightening....you are in my prayers....
Repeating all the stuff others have said "Hunker down" stay safe, stay strong and don't do anything crazy!
Dreading any pictures you may post next week....
During the war in Europe, many towns and cities were leveled....and there was "someone" to be angry about....but Irma has no persona and is equally devastating

((((Cathy and all in the path of Irma))))

Cathy, we're thinking of you and all those who have already been impacted by Irma.

I haven't heard from my family in Cuba, but phone connections to the island remain a crapshoot. We'll see. Thank you so much for your kind thoughts.

And if Jesus ever checks his messages, you and everyone affected by this stormy hell will be safe.

Sunny Sol, feeling mostly cloudy

Sol, I'm hoping your mother in Miami and family in Cuba are safe and dry.

Sol, I've also been praying for your family in Cuba, and hoping that it's just the telephone issue that's keeping them from contacting you. I'm sending a virtual hug, hang in there.

Annie

Sol, any word from your family?

Cathy

I talked to Cathy around 4 pm, ET. It was raining and the winds were picking up but not horrid yet. Her neighbor and SIL gave her house a once over again and it sounds like she is sealed up tight. With luck and prayer, Irma will go down to a Cat 1, but the trees around her house are still a worry.

I will check in with her tomorrow, and hope she has power.

I talked with Cathy and all is well! She has no damage to her home with the exception of many tree branches down. She has no power but expects to have power soon. As I was talking to her she was watching her neighbors take the boarding off their windows. Thank you Irma for listening to all the prayers for a downgrade!

Irma hit a terrible blow as it arrived onto Miami and slowly downgraded as it went up the east coast of Florida and will be/is a tropical storm in Cathy's area. We have large storms like this often this time of year and are always ready and able to do what we know to do at a moments notice. This was a serious storm not to be taken lightly but, we know how to function in these circumstances quite well. Whew, it's part luck and partly smarts that get's you through it!

Cathy wanted me to pass on, to you all, that she's ok and to thank everyone for their prayers, thoughts and support!

Thanks Karen for the update. I just tried her cell but it went right to VM.

Thanks god all are well.

I just heard from Donna via Facebook. They are fine, no power, no water and branches and a fence down.

Thanks, Karen, I'm glad to know that both you and Cathy are OK, as well as Cindy and May, what a couple of storms those were!

I'm still waiting to hear from a couple of cousins and an elderly aunt, but they lived inland and were not in the direct path, so that's not as worrisome. One cousin stayed with his seven (yeah, 7!!) dogs while his wife and daughter with Down Syndrome went to a shelter. My old boss, Chrystal, is in Bonita Springs and I haven't heard from her at all, so I'm still waiting, hoping to hear that she and her lovely old Victorian house were spared.

Annie

So relieved to know Cathy, and everyone here, gave Irma a good 'what for.'

Cathy, I have not heard from my family yet, but we'll keep trying to make contact. Mom is fine - she is feisty enough to deter most natural disasters☺

I hope you get your power back very soon and you (and your loved ones) get some normalcy back in your life ♥

Hugs to you, to Annie and all. And also thanks to Peppi and Karen for keeping us informed.

Sol (sorry for the typos. Fixed it. Must stop using the phone to post)

Thank you too, CC! Very sweet of you!

Sol

You're welcome, of course, Sol. When the power is back on, you'll hear from them.

Great news about Cathy!

I still haven't heard from my cousin Denny or Aunt Beattie, but Chrystal and her husband are safely in Ohio, staying with her daughter and "making lemonade from those lemons" by playing with her new granddaughter and waiting out the storm, so I'm thankful for that.

Sol, I'm sure you'll hear from your family soon.

Annie

Thank you Peppi and Karen!

I'm relieved to hear that Cathy's weathered the storm without any terrible damage. I was thinking of her throughout. Sol, I hope your family is okay, I'm sure that your nerves are on edge as you await word. To all the others that we know or hold dear, I hope they've escaped without significant damage or loss.

Good to hear Cathy fared well.

Sol, hope you receive good news soon!

Finally heard from a cousin (via his wife) in Marco Island. They survived, but no further details. (His wife is a bit of an odd duck.) Her reply read, "We had a direct hit. We are o.k."

Marco Island...scary! I hope they didn't suffer too much damage.

I am so impressed at how people have accepted the total loss of their property. I'm sure I wouldn't be as strong.

You know, mustangs, where I live the media reported that the whole island was destroyed in Jeanne, and there's actually something kind of liberating about it once you get over the shock. But when we got home and found everything was actually okay, that was the only time I've ever seen grown men crying for joy in a parking lot.