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Fears eased but caution reigns

With a watchful eye on where Hurricane Ivan will head, many residents return to their routines.

Melanie Downs finally started to relax Sunday after three chaotic days preparing for the worst of Hurricane Ivan.

While chatting in the parking lot of Palm Lake Christian Church in St. Petersburg, Downs said she had visited the home improvement store five times and ultimately spent $1,000 fortifying her house in west St. Petersburg.

Downs, 38, chairwoman of the church's board, considered posting a big "Whew" on the sign outside the church to express relief at reports that Ivan might miss Tampa Bay. But she didn't.

"There's a weight that's gone this morning," Downs said. "But it's still a very watchful feeling."

With an unpredictable Ivan expected to roll into the Gulf of Mexico today, storm-weary residents across the Tampa Bay area area cautiously relaxed Sunday as forecasts showed Ivan moving to the west.

So far, no evacuations have been ordered in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando or Citrus counties. Schools in all of the counties except Pasco are closed today. And all courts are closed in the five-county region.

Forecasters warn that Ivan could yet take a turn toward Tampa Bay. And even if it keeps its current track, a storm surge of three to five feet is possible in coastal areas.

"It could take a change of direction at any time," said St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker, who worries that residents are getting complacent. "Until it makes landfall somewhere, we should continue to pay attention and stay focused."

Gas supplies remain spotty across the area. The mad rush of drivers trying to fill their tanks is over, but many stations had either limited or no supplies of gas Sunday, though drivers who hunt around appeared able to find stations with an available supply.

Gov. Jeb Bush asked drivers, especially those in the Tampa Bay area, to conserve fuel and promised that more gasoline is on the way. He urged residents to refrain from driving unnecessarily.

No plan to ration gas is afoot, he said.

"It is really important for people not to create a self-fulfilling problem as it relates to gasoline and diesel," Bush said. "I don't know how this ... urban legend started, but the idea that somehow there's going to be rationing has created a run on people going to top their tanks at every possible moment."

"People are just not acting rationally about this and consumption, at least in the Tampa Bay area, has spiked ... upwards to three times the normal consumption," Bush said.

Tammy Stebbins, 24, drove to several gas stations in the West Shore area of Tampa before finding an Amoco station on Hillsborough Avenue that had gas for her silver Buick LeSabre.

"Everyone just got all freaked out and started pumping all the gas," she said, her frustration obvious as she put in $10 worth.

Yvonne LoVario, 47, and her husband, Tony, 45, filled up their Land Rover and a 5-gallon container at a Shell gas station on U.S. 19 in St. Petersburg.

"I don't think we're going to get a direct hit. But we don't want to take a chance," Yvonne LoVario said. "We know storms do whatever they want to do."

There were plenty of signs Sunday that at least for now, people are doing their best to live life regardless of the latest hurricane update.

The Starbucks on Howard Avenue in SoHo had its usual Sunday crowd of New York Times readers, post-workout latte drinkers and dog owners who took a table outside.

At the Front Porch Cafe on Florida Avenue in Seminole Heights, a slight breeze cooled diners taking advantage of the front porch tables.

John Pello and Mike Hydorn finished an early lunch and expressed relief at Ivan's westward shift.

"We're out of the cone, it looks like," Hydorn said, dropping a meteorology term few had used until the past month. "I say, be as normal as possible but keep an eye on it."

At Tampa International Airport, some people were fleeing Ivan, regardless of its forecast track.

Ethel and Ted Marcotte of Port Charlotte packed up their belongings and booked a flight to Flint, Mich., where they have friends and family.

Before they left, the couple let down their storm shutters and moved some prized possessions to higher ground.

"There's no sense taking chances if we can get out," said Mrs. Marcotte, whose home sustained minor damage in Hurricanes Charley and Frances. "There's no sense sitting there. And we can afford it. I have no regrets."

Others relaxed, enjoyed the day and kept an alert ear to the radio or TV.

Marc and Michelle Gariepy were waiting for a table at Skyway Jack's on 34th Street S in St. Petersburg. The couple purchased plywood for Ivan, but said they were waiting before putting it up.

"There's still the potential" for Ivan to hit Tampa Bay, said Michelle Gariepy, 45. "But we're not going to freak out about it."

Times staff writers Marcus Franklin, Sherri Day, Shannon Colavecchio-Van Sickler, Alisa Ulferts, Kevin Graham and Monique Fields contributed to this report.