On this date in 2000, strengthening tropical Storm Debbie was north of Puerto Rico, headed toward South Florida. The storm was likely to take aim on the Keys.
Billy Wagner, the Emergency Manager for Monroe County Florida, which includes the Keys had major problems on his hands. Billy went straight to the source for his hurricane information. He drove the 90 miles up US-1 to the National Hurricane Center where his old friend Max Mayfield worked to make the perfect forecast.
But everyone knows that is not possible given the state of our understanding of the atmosphere. Wagner knew that it took 36 hours to get everyone out of the Keys, and that is if everything went well. Mayfield knew that he might not be able to give Wagner and the Keys residents that much time.
As Debbie threatened, things were not going well. Wagner had a major accident between a tanker truck and a tractor trailer, blocking the only way out of the Keys What if that were to happen in the middle of a big evacuation?
Wagner ordered a phase one evacuation the following morning as Debbie continued to steam toward the tropical paradise. Thousands of tourists left the Keys.
Then, Debbie weakens inexplicably. Wagner faced the wrath of tourism officials because of the economic impact on their industry from the evacuation. But the emergency manager was unapologetic in the face of his critics, knowing that he had certain time frames within which to accomplish evacuation.
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