KEY WEST, Fla. -Streets, bars, hotels and shops in this normally bustling island resort town were mostly empty yesterday, even as officials in the Florida Keys said they were cautiously optimistic Hurricane Ivan might spare the island chain its worst punishment.
Still, the National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm watch yesterday morning for the lower third of the 120-mile island chain, from below Marathon through Key West and the Dry Tortugas. A watch means tropical storm conditions are possible within 36 hours.
Ivan, which had wind blowing at a sustained 150 mph yesterday, has killed 56 people across the Caribbean so far, including 34 in Grenada and 11 in Jamaica.
Millions more people are in its path, with the powerful Category 4 storm projected to go between the Cayman Islands, make a direct hit on Cuba and then either move into the Gulf of Mexico or southwest Florida today. Mandatory evacuation orders for tourists and 79,000 residents were in effect for the Keys.
The storm initially was projected to hit the Keys directly, but it unexpectedly wobbled and lurched west early Saturday, bringing hope to weary Floridians who already have suffered through two other hurricanes in less than a month.
From a psychological standpoint
it feels better but from a meteorological standpoint we're not out of the woods yet said Matt Strahan, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Key West.
Billy Wagner, senior director of Monroe County Emergency Management, said he was cautiously optimistic about the forecasts, but officials said they had no plans to ease protective measures.
Some residents remained unsure whether to leave. Eddie Mathis, who lives on a sailboat, said he probably would stay onboard.
If we did get hit by a solid Category 5
there's going to be not many boats around here that's going to be left -I don't think it's going to be that bad
he said.
Resident Sofia Artola, 37, said there was no point in moving short distances to avoid the storm.
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