Hart Insurance Group

I have lived here in the Tampa Bay area for the past 40 years. When you figure we average about 3-5 hurricanes a year or roughly 120-150 hurricanes? Whatever.

Most of us locals have experienced both evacuating and staying when they probably should have left. That is a very bad scene and can be life threatening. That said, if I evacuated everytime they said to evacuate I would not be able to afford it. Think about it. Each time you evacuate you need gas; don't count on getting any, the lines are long and the gas stations are running of gas all over the place. You need some place to stay; once again you are competing with approximately 7 or 8 million others. You need to be able to travel; the airports are closing down and the highways are congested and grinding to a halt. The last time my mother evacuated the hurricane changed course to where she was going to stay. It didn't matter though because she was stuck in a traffic jam on the highway and went through the hurricane in her car.

So if I evacuated every time they said to I will have spent about $120,000.00 in fleeing and although I have experienced some bad storms here, I have never incurred any serious damage. That is because I do not live on the water. I don't live in a flooding area and I don't keep anything that matters to me where the water can get to it.

I love this time, because everyone leaves town!

My heart goes out to those who are in danger, You I recommmend that you plan that this is going to happen about 3 times a year so have a plan that you can leave 4 or 5 days in advance, otherwise you need to live with the possibility that it could be dangerous.

I am alright with the risk.

Hi everybody out there in FB land! I am not the most active person. I like to use facebook to make good my obligations to my friends, strangers and myself. Sometimes good things happen to me because everyone was so cool. That's here today. I want to thank my neighbors and friends that helped me find my "little Guy" Nino. Nino is my little chihuahua that I have had since the day he was born. He is now an old and blind dog, but like everyone, I love my little Nino and when he wondered off me and everyone that knew him was worried. After putting posters, he was returned within a few hours by some wonderful people down the street that saw him walking in the road. They fell in love with him and were disappointed that they had to return him, but they did the right thing and I understand the majic that is Nino.

We had opportunity to meet our neighbors while looking for him and it reminded me that my neighbors are more than cars lined up in a row on a street; there are many good people that worry about the same things we all do, like a lost old dog.

Thank you everyone for helping get my little guy home.