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JENNIFER LIBERTOResidents heed evacuation orders as Hurricane Frances churns slowly toward Florida's west coast.
If Hurricane Frances topples or floods Dawn Miller's mobile home in Brookridge, her teddy bear collection will float until it is rescued.
Miller was first to arrive at the special needs emergency shelter at West Hernando Middle School when it opened at 6 a.m. Saturday.
Although she requires a wheelchair, Miller felt prepared to wait out the storm, having spent Friday packing 164 stuffed bears into plastic tubs, sealed with duct tape. She had just recently unsealed the bears after packing them for Hurricane Charley.
"I think the bears are going to spend the rest of the hurricane season in the tubs," said Miller, a five-time evacuation veteran, who arrived early to secure a coveted shelter spot close to the restroom. "The rest of the home is insured, and what will be, will be."
At noon Saturday, with the eye of Frances headed toward Hernando County today, county emergency management officials issued a mandatory evacuation of mobile home residents, upgrading their previous, voluntary recommendation for evacuation. Officials also recommended that people living in flood zones protect themselves.
Tropical storm force winds and heavy rainfall were expected to arrive Saturday night.
"The fact that this storm is so unpredictable, wobbling back and forth, we decided to be cautious," said Brenda Frazier, community relations coordinator for the county. "We are concerned about it, so we decided to make evacuation mandatory."
About 200 people filled the county's eight shelters early Saturday afternoon.
The shelters, which will remain open throughout the storm, are at:
West Hernando Middle School, 14325 Ken Austin Parkway, west of Brooksville.
Deltona Elementary School, 2055 Deltona Blvd., Spring Hill.
Nature Coast Technical High School, 4057 California St., south of Brooksville.
Fox Chapel Middle School, 9412 Fox Chapel Lane, Spring Hill.
Moton Elementary School, 7175 Emerson Road, Brooksville.
Chocachatti Elementary School, 4135 California St., south of Brooksville.
Hernando High School, 700 Bell Ave., Brooksville.
Springstead High School, 3300 Mariner Blvd., Spring Hill.
More than 10,000 residents had been warned about the evacuation by 2 p.m. through the county's CodeRED emergency phone system as well as by sheriff's deputies driving through neighborhoods, announcing evacuations over loudspeakers.
Elsewhere, many residents crowded several locations where sandbags were available. Also, the county was facing a fuel shortage Saturday afternoon as service stations began running out of gas, according to the Hernando County Emergency Operations Center.
The county animal shelter, near the Hernando County Fairgrounds in Brooksville, had taken in about 40 extra animals, including cats, dogs and guinea pigs, Frazier said.
At the emergency shelters, county residents had started to trickle in early Saturday morning, with the West Hernando Middle School quickly becoming the most crowded. That shelter was equipped with several dozen oxygen tanks, and county officials had started picking up residents with health problems to take them to the shelter about 7 a.m.
"I didn't sleep at all last night," said Charlsey Trammell, 73, who lives near the shelter and uses a wheelchair because she has degenerative arthritis. "I don't need to be going through a hurricane alone."
Only one family had stayed overnight at Hernando High School, one of three shelters that opened Friday evening.
"We've had several people check in and then check back out, but we expect a steady flow of people all day long (Saturday)," said Lorna Lowe, assistant principal at Hernando High.
Nearly all of those who arrived early at the shelters were evacuating from mobile homes.
"I'm glad for this place, because in our house trailer we wouldn't stand much of a chance," said Thelma Coak, 56, a Morse's Meadows mobile home resident who arrived at Hernando High with her cancer-stricken, 75-year-old husband about 7 a.m.
Jennifer Liberto can be reached at 352 848-1434 or liberto@sptimes.com