Tampa Bay Residents Assess Their Options As Irma Gets Closer

TAMPA, FL - The crowd at World Of Beer was enjoying some friendly brews, but had one topic on their minds: Irma. The bar near Tampa International Airport was packed and the football games on the numerous large TV screens made it difficult to hear. The atmosphere seemed almost festive at times this Saturday afternoon; that is until the discussion turned to Hurricane Irma.
Rob Dolan, a Marine Corp. major at U.S. Central Command based at MacDill Air Force Base, plans to ride out the storm at his South Tampa home with his wife and 10-month old boy. He said he felt obligated to stay.
“I have a lot of retired vets and elderly in my neighborhood who might need help,” he said.
After seeing the damage from Hurricane Harvey, Dolan said he wanted to be available in his neighborhood, if aid is needed.
Plus, there are some friendly neighborhood cats that might need a place to stay. “We will take them in” if they show up,” he said.
Another customer, Morgan Chan said he had just come from downtown Tampa, which he described as a “ghost town.”
“People are taking it seriously,” he said.

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Chan and his family lived in Coral Gables in 1992 when Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida. Because of the damage to his family’s home, he said they decided to move to Tampa.
Chan works in construction and he gave little hope that apartments and condos in south Florida towns such as Naples would survive the storm without heavy damage. “They are going to take a hard hit. If your house is wood, you should be nervous,” he said.
Chan, who lives near Westchase and his girlfriend, Megan Eppes, who lives in flood-prone South Tampa, plan to stay with family members in New Tampa.
Jeff McGrath, general manager of the World Of Beer, said the restaurant planned to close at 3 p.m. so employees could prepare. “We hope to have everybody out of the building by 4 p.m.,” he said.
As customers left the building, restaurant employees uttered the same mantra: “Stay safe.”

Customers at World Of Beer near Tampa International Airport enjoy lunch with the main topic of discussion: Hurricane Irma.