Her decision to stay was a matter of gut instinct, she said, after years living through Florida’s storms. Twenty-five miles (40km) east of the sea, and half a mile west of Tampa’s Hillsborough River, she felt protected from any storm surge. “And then, as far as evacuation zones, we're in one of the last ones. So, you know, I'm not concerned,” she said. The couple had also worried about finding accommodation. “With two dogs over 200lbs (91kg), it’s a big thing,” she said.