miami/tampa fla. walter hodgdon scrap plan ride hurricane irma saturday shift forecast model suddenly put home barrier island florida gulf coast directly path within hours hodgdon partner hastily board home drive north carolina time store valuable glasswares inner closet last night one model draw line right house say hodgdon 58 live terra ceia tampa bay meet gulf mexico figure go leave go leave completely hodgdon partner nels gullerud among score people live florida west coast force make last-minute decisions whether hunker flee amid one fierce atlantic storm century storm model early week project irma bear heavily eastern florida storm barrel right western coastline menace population hubs around tampa fort myers people know exactly situation change every 12 hours say adam gray pastor redeem church st. petersburg florida two days ago week talk relatives east coast stay wife young child evacuate stay behind help church members board house locate spare room high grind plan open church unable find shelter others irma path decide take chance surround neighborhoods evacuate andrea prather fort myers stock bottle water food ride storm boyfriend cat 51-year-old pop singer felt safe 25th floor high-rise build withstand hurricane-force wind still recent hurricane model show storm head way jitters flare make turn anxiety pit stomach say anyone totally prepare michael albrecht communications professor eckerd college st. petersburg decide stay parent fourth-floor condo south pasadena near gulf mexico decide would safe concrete build aluminum storm shutter high storm surge one-story house nearby gulfport street prone flood surround tall tree could fall branch hit fourth floor say albrecht 40. worry week without air condition electricity inconvenient life-threatening week make change evacuation plan dionna duncan 48 saturday morning simply opt leave home palm harbor florida work week without time prepare plywood supply sell could put sandbag remember take 200-year-old family picture leave hang closet wed veil daughters want wear someday forget hurry say duncan work insurance industry years make detail disaster plan star something like face matter experience knowledge escape retiree ann pinsker 71 husband choose evacuate fort lauderdale condo florida east coast thursday think storm head way 3-1/2-hour drive stretch 9-1/2 hours fear storm head directly hotel stay lakeland central part state fort lauderdale predict spar brunt storm neighbor send photograph hurricane party hold build wish pinsker say hindsight 20-20. flee stay irma 's shift path force reconsider