Michele Rizzuto rode out the storm at home in Indialantic, and will consider evacuating next time a major hurricane approaches.
Around 9 p.m. Sunday, Michele Rizzuto felt Hurricane Irma’s winds ratchet up from her Indialantic condo nor far from Paradise Beach.
Overnight, sideways rain pelted beneath sliding doors, soaking one towel after another. Rizzuto saw electrical transformers explode outside and lost power, and a fire alarm went off.
Her condo and neighboring ones suffered little damage. But reflecting on the experience while checking out the beach Monday morning, Rizzuto said Irma's peak intensity made her better appreciate that an evacuation might be in order for the next storm.
“Next time, if a hurricane comes through (as a Category) 2 or higher, I’d probably contemplate leaving for the mainland,” she said.