Irma drives locals to hotels
Matthew, Kissimmee.
Shamar Hamblin came with a group of eight people from West Orlando for the same reasons.
“We know our neighborhood is low-lying and can flood,” he said.
A bit farther down the hall, Pat Allsopp, a tourist from England, watched the rain falling. She was hoping her first floor hotel room, which opens onto the pool and courtyard, wouldn’t be vulnerable to flooding.
“We had no idea there was a hurricane coming to Florida when we set out last Monday,” Allsopp said. “We had four days of fun at the theme parks, so we hope this will be just an inconvenience.”
Front desk manager Charlotte Collman said the resort had about 25 people working through the storm. She said they plan to call each room with updates on any storm damage or in emergencies. staying in
“We’re just trying to keep all our guests calm, whether local, international, or FPL,” Collman said.
A fire alarm went off for about 10 minutes Sunday in the resort’s biggest building, sending guests down the stairs and elevators, but staff said it was a malfunction because of the rain.
From South Florida, Frank Rocha brought his family, including three children, Anthony, 7, Julia, 10, and Matt, 14. They camped out in the lobby Sunday afternoon, watching a Dr. Seuss movie on a big screen TV the hotel set up. Rocha also took advantage of a special bar set up in the lobby, which is usually in the pool area.
“We boarded up the house and drove up Friday night,” said Rocha of Boca Raton. “We’re talking to neighbors who say a few trees have come down there.”
Dozens of contractors working for FPL also roomed overnight at Coco Key, a large number of whom had driven down from Iowa.
Out on International Drive near the hotel, a couple T-shirt shops were among the few stores that tried to stay open. There were a few customers, but a far cry from the normal traffic. The sign in front of the Coca-Cola Orlando Eye said “Closed” in bright red letters, and then, “Be Safe.”