All of Florida is in the Dorian cone. Then, there is Key West

Yes, Key West, where infrastructure is so fragile that a year ago a wandering iguana set off a power outage.

So, what do Key Westers think of what’s going on in the mainland.

“Hurricane supplies, finished,” Shannon Gaytan posted to Facebook post on Friday.

The photo was a giant stack of beer on a pallet.

But even with the relaxed attitude, a few gas stations in and around Key West were out of gasoline Friday morning. Drivers lined up at those that still had a supply. In Key West, everything is trucked in from the mainland via U.S. 1.

While people on the mainland are being warned of a Category 4 storm, the only thing resembling a hurricane alert from Key West city government was a reminder Thursday for residents to help clear out storm drains of palm fronds and other junk and to avoid driving through flooded streets.

But Monroe County government is preparing for severe tropical storm-grade winds and bayside flooding. And the school district canceled school on Tuesday because of Dorian.

“Damaging tropical storm force winds and squalls could be expected throughout the Florida Keys on Sunday through Tuesday,” county spokeswoman Kristen Livengood said Friday in a statement.

The county was planning to open its Emergency Operations Center Friday afternoon and its response team is waiting for the release of flood models and plans a meeting to hash out its procedures, including shelter.

“The reality is, we are on the better side of this storm being below it,” said Marty Senterfitt, director of Monroe County Emergency Management. “Now is the time to stock up on supplies if you haven’t already and top your cars off with gas.”

The Southernmost City was spared the wrath of 2017’s Hurricane Irma even as other parts of the island chain were devastated when the Category 4 storm made landfall in the Lower Keys, where people are still recovering from their losses.

“Potential impacts to the Florida Keys remain highly uncertain due to multiple track and intensity factors, including the timing of a westward turn..., and forward speed of the hurricane,” said Jon Rizzo, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Key West.

In Key West, some parties have been canceled due to Dorian. The annual week-long lesbian and friends event Womenfest got pushed back to start Sept. 6 rather than Sept. 4. And an annual Rotary fundraiser called BrewFest canceled its big “signature tasting” event set for Saturday.

Click here for hurricane preparation. To get emergency updates about Dorian, sign up for Alert!Monroe.

This story was originally published August 30, 2019 at 2:21 PM.