Pittsburgh-area natives brace for Hurricane Irma

Hurricane Irma barreled up the coast of Florida Sunday.  The deadly storm moved through Naples and Fort Myers towards Sarasota and Tampa.

Ohio Valley native Jennifer Stacey was in Fort Myers as Hurricane Irma ripped up the coastline.

"This is nothing to mess with, conditions are absolutely terrible," Stacey said.

An inland lake behind her looks more like an ocean.

"We're dealing with the second half of this hurricane, we're not through with this yet," she said.

Stacey and her family evacuated their Cape Coral home inland with 11 other people, including four kids, four dogs and a hamster.

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When she heard the storm surge could potentially get up to 15 feet, they left immediately.

"At this point, we don't know if there is a home to go home to," Stacey said.

In Sarasota, Fayette County native Scott Martin hunkered down.

"Currently, we still have power on our street but hundreds of thousands of people in the area do not," Martin said.

Martin says he wasn't taking any chances with Mother Nature though.  He boarded up his home earlier this week, stocked up on gas for the generator and secured lots of food and water.  Now, he sits and waits.

"When I realized how big the storm was you get concerned, then fear for the safety of your family. Then you go into survival mode and start preparing,” Martin said.

Cox Media Group