‘She Can Barely Walk’: Evacuating for Irma More Difficult for the Elderly

‘She Can Barely Walk’: Evacuating for Irma More Difficult for the Elderly
A group of women sit in the cafeteria awaiting room assignments at a shelter within the Pizzo Elementary School in Tampa, Florida where Tampa residents are fleeing the evacuation zones ahead of Hurricane Irma's landfall Sept. 9, 2017. JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images
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ESTERO, Fla.—Sheryl Estes lay in a foldable lounge chair, wrapped in blankets and surrounded by a sea of mattresses, storm refugees and their dogs. Her husband, Rick, squeezed in beside her, between an animal crate and a trash can.

Estes was among thousands of Florida evacuees who streamed into Germain Arena, a sports and concert venue in the state’s southwest corner, seeking shelter from Hurricane Irma. They included a large contingent of elderly and medically frail residents of one of the world’s premier retirement destinations.