Storm Reports

Ike Keeps Monroe County Schools Closed

Because Hurricane Ike's outer bands aren't expected to fully clear the Keys until Wednesday, Monroe County schools announced they will stay closed Wednesday and reopen Thursday.

The Category 1 storm was moving northwest through Cuba, its eye passing about 50 miles from Havana, and was expected to emerge in the Gulf of Mexico later Tuesday. Ike could restrengthen to a major Category 3 hurricane by the time it makes a Gulf Coast landfall, which could be early Saturday in Texas.

A 75-mph wind gust was reported Tuesday in Havana, while a Key West weather station had a 54-mph gust.

CAMMY CLARK, The Miami Herald

Key West Sees Light Flooding, Little Else

People in Key West woke up Tuesday to a windy morning. There was some flooding on the southeast end of the island, caused primarily from high tides and rough surf washing up on the road. Rain has been very light.

The flooded streets are South Roosevelt Boulevard, Atlantic Boulevard and the southern ends of Duval, Simonton and Whitehead streets.

The surf has also has washed onto the streets seaweed, rocks and debris - plastic bottles, beer cans and other litter dumped into the water.

But for many Key West locals, the windy morning was a chance to walk their dogs and get a small glimpse of Mother Nature at work.

Kathy Santiesteban was at Higgs Beach with her mutt Jackie.

‘‘This is her first one," Santiesteban said of her dog. "I've lost count how many I've been in. This one is awesome to watch."

Christy Moseley said: "We all want to go surfing, but it's a little too rough. It's a little too organized. And it's too windy to surf. It's hard to just stand here (on the beach) and not get blown away."

Marianne Brassard, a painting contractor, chimed in: "Too windy to go kiteboarding, too, today."

But it wasn't too windy to skateboard. One male teen was doing so topless down Duval Street, taking advantage of the low traffic on the usually busy main tourist drag.

One woman was even washing the windows to her restaurant.

CAMMY CLARK, The Miami Herald

Monroe County Not Opening Storm Shelters

Miami Herald reporter Cammy Clark says Monroe County will open no hurricane shelters in the Keys with Hurricane Ike approaching.

Instead, city and county officials urged citizens to take advantage of the public busses to the shelter at Florida International University, Clark says.

So far, Key West city manager Jim Scholl said only a few hundred people have used the transportation.

The last public bus is scheduled to leave Key West around noon Monday.

Scholl reiterated that all three Keys' hospitals, and their emergency rooms, are already closed. He said in only the case of extreme emergencies would the limited hospital staff be able to try to stabilize the problem before transportation to the mainland.

Monroe County administrator Roman Gastesi said that once winds hit 40 miles per hour in the Keys, "You're on your own. You're not going to get any government services."

   Officials said the winds could last 18 to 24 hours.

Key West Mayor Morgan McPherson "begged'' people to evacuate. "We must be prepared for whatever direction it takes. Keep your fingers crossed and stay on your tippy toes."

Monroe County Mayor Mario DiGennaro said that with the help of Gov. Charlie Crist's office, animals are now allowed to travel to the FIU shelter if they are in proper carrying cases or cages.

Once at the shelter, DiGennaro said the animals will be taken to an animal shelter. They will be returned to pet owners at FIU before reentry into the Keys.

Key West Boating Community Tightens Up for Ike

To secure their home for Hurricane Ike, the Metcalf family in Key West didn't put up storm shutters. They secured three anchors to the sea bottom.

Their home is a 41-foot Morgan sailboat called Banana Wind.

It's one of about 200 live-aboard vessels anchored in public waters around the island city.

Larry and Kristie Metcalf plan to ride out the storm on their boat, along with their grown son Levi, Tina the cat, Paco the parrot and Chiquita the Chihuahua.

‘‘It's going to be a rough ride - wet and windy, but nothing we can't handle," said Larry Metcalf, who has been sailing for 30 years.

Metcalf, who has one big toenail painted green for starboard and one painted red for port, said he is no fool.

He has been monitoring Ike by Internet and said if the storm's projected path changes, veering north toward Key West, then he'll pull up anchor and sail to the safety of the mangroves at Shark River in the Everglades.

‘‘We can pack up and leave here in 10 minutes," Metcalf said. "We have enough fuel to get us there. This is my home, my life, my family. I don't put any of them in jeopardy."

His sailboat, which he said has "every safety feature imaginable," is anchored in 10 feet of water between Navy property and the Coast Guard Station. It has a spectacular sunset view of the Gulf of Mexico.

Since 1999, the Metcalfs have loved living on the water. It comes with freedom and no rent or property taxes.

‘‘We have done the brick and mortar, two-story, four-bedroom house with a garage filled with junk," Metcalf said. "Now we live the simple good life."

His work includes dressing as a pirate to entertain guests at Mallory Square's Sunset Festival.

Only once, during Hurricane Charlie, did the family ride out a major storm on shore.

‘‘I couldn't sleep all night," he said. "I said: 'Never again'. Our boat is our lives."

Despite rough conditions, the Metcalfs say they ride out storms on their boat to ensure their boat survives.

During Tropical Storm Fay last month, an unmanned live-aboard vessel got loose and drifted toward them. The Metcalfs called Magic Penny, a vessel assistance service, which arrived within five minutes to anchor the loose boat before it could crash into them.

‘‘If we're on the boat, we also can use our Oh S--- anchor," Levi said. "That means put it in the water now or we're in trouble."

Kristie Metcalf said the prospect of strong winds and rough waters does not scare her. She cited their trip from the Panhandle to Tarpon Springs, when they got caught in a summer thunderstorm and sailed through seas with 10 to 15-foot waves.

"I'm almost glad it was in the middle of the night so we couldn't see how bad it was," she said. "This storm won't be anything like that."

The Metcalfs are anchored in waters off Key West because Levi, 22, is studying commercial diving at Florida Keys Community College. He dove under the boat with SCUBA gear to ensure the anchors were secure in the sea bottom.

Levi also has his own live-aboard boat, a 27-footer called Drifting Soul.

While Banana Wind will be partially protected from wind by Fleming Key, there are many other live-aboard vessels more exposed to direct wind.

They include Cliff Hartman's 40-foot converted long-line old fishing vessel, which is anchored near Wisteria Island, with Mallory Square in view.

‘‘My boat isn't going anywhere; it stayed where it is during (Hurricane) Wilma in 2005," Hartman said. "I'm more worried about other people's boats coming loose."

But Hartman said he'll take his chances, planning to ride out the storm at his worksite, Project Lighthouse, a help center for troubled youth and runaways in Key West. Hartman said he's more concerned about his comfort than the danger.

"When the winds come, the boat rocks a lot," Hartman said.

His preparations include adding extra anchor lines. He's also monitoring Ike's path to see if it will be necessary to move some of his possessions to a safer place. That requires transporting them via a dingy docked in Key West Harbor.

"It's kind of a triage thing," said Hartman, wearing a homemade palm frond hat. "I might take the generator, which might come in handy in town. It's a valuable item. And maybe I'll get some electronics and the TV. But I'm not super materialistic."

Hartman was helping Tom Picht transport a battery for a bilge pump for his 1977 replica Chesapeake Bay oyster dredging boat.

"It's been through a lot of hurricanes," Picht said. "I hope it makes it through this one, too."

CAMMY CLARK, The Miami Herald

Key West Sticks to Evacuations

As cars, motorcycles, scooters and bicycles cruised down Duval Street Sunday morning, Key West Mayor Morgan McPherson stood in front of a throng of TV cameras trying to urge residents of the Keys to evacuate despite the projected path of Hurricane Ike going south of the Southernmost City.

‘‘The good news is it looks like Cuba will break this cowboy of a storm," McPherson said. "But it could change."

Keys emergency management officials decided in the wee hours Sunday to continue the evacuation plan for residents, beginning at 8 a.m.

‘‘It was very difficult some of the decisions we made in the middle of the night," said Monroe County administrator Roman Gastesi. "But this one is just too close to say: 'Bunker down and you'll be okay'. It's better to be safe than sorry.

‘‘Look at the (cone) image and we're right there," Gastesi said of the island chain with only one main road leading to the mainland. "It it bumps to the north, the storm will be right on top of us.  Stay tuned."

McPherson said that about 15,000 visitors have evacuated, a number he says is an estimate derived by the Tourist Development Council based on lodging rooms that were occupied.

McPherson, with a cloudless sky above him, said he does not know how many residents have evacuated, but traffic was exceptionally light leaving the Keys Saturday and so far Sunday morning.

‘‘We know no matter what, we'll get a storm surge, whether it's 3 ½ feet or 8 feet," he said.

McPherson also said that once winds reach 40 miles per hour, all police officers, firefighters and hospital personnel will stop working to be with their families during the storm.

‘‘There will be no emergency services," McPherson said. "You'll be putting yourself in danger if you stay and have a medical emergency."

CAMMY CLARK, The Miami Herald   

Rescue in Marathon

Four passengers onboard a helicopter were rescued Sunday morning after the aircraft crashed in waters off Marathon, officials said.

None were seriously injured.

Though details of the crash are unclear, officials have said the chopper went down just north of the Nine Mile Bank near Marathon in the Florida Keys.

It's unclear if the passengers were part of the mandatory evacuation of the Florida Keys now underway due Hurricane Ike.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Coast Guard are investigating the cause of the crash.

Crews will likely recover the aircraft.

JENNIFER MOONEY PIEDRA, The Miami Herald

The Keys Still Getting Ready

At 7 a.m. Sunday, most of Key West appeared to still be asleep aside from some crowing roosters, residents walking their dogs and city manager Jim Scholl.

Scholl reiterated that the mandatory residents' evacuation for Key West would begin at 8 a.m. Sunday.

‘‘I would expect people to take every precaution," Scholl said. "It's important to know that if Ike goes a little north of the projected path, we could be dealing with a major storm. And by the time we know that, it could be too late to evacuate. People should make the wise decision to leave now."

But with Ike's current forecast projecting Key West will miss a direct hit, residents like Gwen Esbensen have decided to hunker down in the Southernmost City for the storm.

Esbensen, who was walking her hound retriever named Al, said she has lived in Key West and only evacuated once: for Hurricane Georges.

‘‘We were new to the area then and very unsure about hurricanes," she said. "Now we know about them. We were here for Wilma (in 2005) and it flooded about a block and a half from us, but where we live it stayed dry. So we'll see about this one."

CAMMY CLARK, The Miami Herald