Seven words that sum up stormy weather

GARDNER When Florida Weekly asked Southwest Floridians to summarize their hurricane experiences or sentiments — in seven words, no more and no less — we were flooded with responses. Some said the words came to them right away, like cartoon captions waiting to be pulled out of the air; others said stringing together the best seven words took more time and attention than they thought it would.

Their combined voices create a panorama of hurricane seasons past:

"Two kids, seven dogs, one car, EVACUATE." - Hurricane Ivan

Kathy Wheeler , dbr mar keting,

Naples

"Lights out, water in, should have left." - Hurricane Ivan

Paul M. Gardner, M.D., plastic

surgeon, Bonita Springs

"Our frame house quivered but stood tall." - Hurricane Donna

Leon Smith, no velist and insur ance

WRIGHT

agent, Fort Myers

"The water just rises up, looks biblical." - Hurricane Charley

Caroline U seman, pr esident,

BioDrain of Florida

"Shingles falling nigh, declare our roof — goodbye." - Hurricane Wilma

Stephen W right, public

relations c oordinator, T he

Humane Society Naples

"Wind sideways, trees bending, power out, praying." - Hurricane Charley

Jerri S tanley, e xecutive administr ative

assistant for The R i t z-Carlton

Golf Resort, Naples

"Soft rain on leaves, frogs singing loudly." - Hurricane Charley

Carolyn M oore, e xecutive dir ector,

DAIGLE

Island Coast AIDS Network

"Violence. Fear. Safety. Hope. Transformation. We prevail." - Hurricane Wilma

Staff and residents at The Shelter for

Abused Women & Children, Naples

"We'll find out if the roof leaks." - Hurricane Wilma at the Southwest Florida International Airport, three weeks after the new terminal opened

Bob Ball, e xecutive

director, Lee C ounty P ort

Authority

"Power outage, decomposed, neighbor's freezer; I disposed." - Hurricane Charley

Kevin Pierce, Fort Myers

"Playing drums with spoons, watching

trees bend." - Hurricane Charley

Tanya Amador-Daigle ,

director/curator, Sp ace 3 9

Modern & C ontemporary

BARNETT

Art Gallery

"Calming protector and defender for my family." - Hurricane Charley

Harold Balink, chef/

owner, H2

"When I say leave, I mean it."

Hurricane e vacuation

plan by Mayor Bill Barnett,

Naples

"Drank vodka, the house shook, flying coconuts." - Hurricane George in Key West

Karen Schaeffer, pastry chef, Renaissance

Country Club

"After Charley, the Spirit of Punta Gorda." - Hurricane Charley

City Manag er H oward

Kunik, Punta Gorda

"Boarded windows, packed, locked house and left." - Hurricane Charley

USEMAN J. H oward F inch, as sociate

dean and Alico chair of

financial manag ement and

planning, Lutgert C ollege

of Business at Florida Gulf

Coast University

"Under the mattress in bathroom for eternity." - Hurricane Charley

Cathy Log an, art t eacher,

C ape Elementary, C ape

Coral

"My daughters invent the sport of wind-skating." - Hurricane Jeanne

Betsi J ones, t eacher, C ypress Lak e

Middle School

"The wind was blowing. (Alarmed), I ran." - Hurricane Wilma

Sedona R obrahn, sixth

grade, Cypress Lake Middle

FINCH

School

"Pain, fear in the eyes of everyone." - Hurricanes in general

Sydney Eskin, sixth grade, Cypress Lake Middle School

"Light bulb holder held our window together." - Hurricane Charley

Natalie Eskin, sixth

grade, C ypress Lak e Middle

School

"I didn't have cable for five days." - Hurricane Charley

Kellie Huf f, sixth g rade,

Cypress Lak e Middle

School

"Drip, drip, drip. My roof is leaking." - Hurricane Charley

Jade L usk, sixth g rade,

Cypress Lak e Middle

School

"Hurricane Wilma cancelled my October 2005 wedding." - Hurricane Wilma

ROBRAHN Martin John s ton, senior s ales manager,

T he Ritz-C arlton R esorts of

Naples

"A Cancun vacation? Acapulco here we come." - Hurricane Wilma in Cancun

Johnny S antana, T he

Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort

"Water flooding, glass sliders bowing, power out." - Hurricane Wilma

R ick C ollins, CEO , R olsafe

hurricane shutters

"Three siblings, scared, huddled in the hallway." - Hurricane Andrew

Danielle Flood, public

relations manag er, Educational

Concerns for Hunger

Organization

"Hurricane Charley, major damage, heat, FEMA bureaucracy." - Hurricane Charley

BALL Harold Crews II, senior market manager,

Fort Myers State Farmers Market

"Windows boarded, iced down coolers, unknown fate." — Hurricane Charley

James Hudson, chef/

owner, JBistro

"Having experience, I microwaved all my popcorn." - Hurricane Frances

Cobi Knight, dir ector of

marketing and pr omotions,

WAY- F M

"At SummerJazz - see storm track - reality flashes." - Hurricane Andrew

Dolly R oberts, dbr marketing

"The large, live oak was twisted clockwise." — Hurricane Charley

Nick C ifelli, pr esident,

Cape Coral Stamp Club

HUFF

"Utility room closet, close quarters for three." - Hurricane Charley

Rick J ohnson, g eneral

manager, W GCU P ublic

Media

"So this happens when hurricanes come - yikes."

Will P rather, o wner,

Prather Ent ertainment

Group

"Put the shutters up; take them down." - Hurricane season

Robin DeMat tia, N aples Art As sociation/

The von Liebig Art Center

"Mud and fish found in our home." - Hurricane Donna, 1960

Scott Salley, Collier County Sheriff's

Office

"Long, noisy, fun, windy/still, but great." - Hurricane Donna, 1960

BALINK Mike W atkins, T he N aples B each

Hotel and Golf Club

"Watched in awe, humanity, nature crashing together." - Hurricane Katrina on television

Rev. Emile Gau vreau,

Center for Spiritual Living

"Whistling wind, water dripping from the ceiling." - Hurricane Wilma

Camden Smith, P ublic

Services Division of Collier

County

"Is my 80-year-old father OK?" - Hurricane Charley

Nancy Kilmartin, Lee

County P arks and R ecreation

"Dark, cold, screeching, huge tree against window." - Hurricane Wilma

Emily Edg erton, s ales c oordinator,

KUNIK

The Ritz-Carlton Resorts of Naples

"Soft rain on leaves, frogs singing loudly."- Hurricane Charley

Carolyn M oore, e xecutive dir ector,

Island Coast AIDS Network

COLLINS LOGAN HUDSON ESKIN ESKIN CIFELLI LUSK PRATHER SANTANA FLOOD SMITH KNIGHT ROBERTS JOHNSON GAUVREAU KILMARTIN