Floridians coping with Irma's disruption

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Dusty Smith had more important things on his mind over the weekend than the Florida Horse Park Invitational. 

The meet director of one of Florida's biggest September cross country meets was rightly concerned for his family and his home, which is why the Smiths evacuated their Gulf Coast residence near Cedar Key and went across the state to Jacksonville ahead of Hurricane Irma.

"We were really worried because at one point we were going to be the spot where ... (the eye of the hurricane) was going to slam into the city where I live," said Smith, an event coordinator for B3R Sports.  

As it turned out, like many people, the Smiths evacuated to to a spot where the weather impacts turned out to be at least equal, if not greater. Storm surge inundated parts of Jacksonville before the storm moved farther north.

Smith returned home Monday to find that his home in a low-lying area had not been damaged. As of Tuesday, he was one of the estimated 12 million people in the state without electricity (and air conditioning).

He was also trying to pick up the pieces of the 70-team invitational that had been slated to take place Friday and Saturday in Ocala, Fla. The schedule included college races Friday and high school, middle school and elementary school races Saturday.

"We had schools coming from Miami to all the way up in Hoover, Alabama," Smith said.

Prior to the storm, Smith spent two full days mowing the grass and prepping the course. As the weather report deteriorated and state officials began to issue warnings about the Category 5 storm ripping apart islands in the Caribbean, the possiblity of holding the meet fell apart.

School was canceled across the state Friday.

"We had a mandatory evacuation Friday afternoon," Smith said. "We had planned on staying (home) right up to the time the fire truck pulled up to my house (and they) said, 'You've got to go.'"

After some time to plot his next move, Smith sent out an e-mail to all of the Horse Park meet's coaches Tuesday. The invitational has been postponed until Oct. 14. 

It will probably be a much smaller event. Many of Florida's high schools are usually at conference meets that week. 

Smith is open to having entire conferences take part in the Horse Track Invitational and scoring their championships separately from the overall meet. Entry fees that have been paid can be put toward the Alligator Lake Invitational on Sept. 30, the rescheduled Oct. 14 meet, or next year's Horse Park Invitational.

The bigger issues of personal safety, destroyed property and disrupted lives are far more important in Florida this week. 

Smith's predicament is merely one story out of millions that have been affected by Hurricane Irma.