Key West, Florida, escaped major damage from Hurricane Ian due to the storm's track and locals' expertise in dealing with Mother Nature, Mayor Teri Johnston told Newsmax on Wednesday.
Key West, Florida's southernmost point, boasts many landmarks, including The Hemingway House, former residence of author Ernest Hemingway.
"We put up storm shutters to eliminate any flying debris. Many people sandbag to fight off the storm surge," Johnston told "National Report" co-hosts Shaun Kraisman and Emma Rechenberg.
"But these historical structures have been around for a hundred years and have weathered a great number of storms … most of them have been built by shipbuilders so they really can withstand a number of storms."
Johnston said had not heard from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials yet, but she understood why.
"There are many spots in Florida that need FEMA far worse than the city of Key West does," Johnston told Newsmax. "This has been an unusual weather event for us because [the hurricane] passed so far to the west of us, we were not in the cone."
Hurricane Ian subjected Key West to high winds, localized flooding, and an overnight tornado watch. Johnston said her area was anticipating "peak of storm surge" on Wednesday afternoon.
"We did not issue a mandatory evacuation order either for our residents or our guests but we had a number of people who have evacuated voluntarily," Johnston said.
"We have opened up an emergency shelter for the general population, and this is particularly to [provide] shelter for those in trailer parks, those who are 'live-aboards' on a boat, and those most vulnerable citizens."
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