Florida Keys - Refuge for People, Planes and Weddings During Hurricane Jeanne

Business Wire, Sept 27, 2004

FLORIDA KEYS, Fla. -- The core of Hurricane Jeanne missed the Florida Keys Sunday, and for the second time in a month the island chain served as a refuge for people and planes from areas of Florida that were at risk from a hurricane.

The Keys were fortunate to be the only part of Florida's Atlantic coast to avoid hurricane warnings or watches due to Jeanne.

"Thankfully, Mother Nature spared the Florida Keys again, but we're heartbroken to see the storm's impact in other portions of the state," said Harold Wheeler, director of the Florida Keys tourism council.

Approximately 125 aircraft, including a number of commercial aircraft, relocated to Florida Keys Marathon Airport. More than 175 planes waited out the storm at Key West International Airport.

"Most of the time, (during a hurricane threat), people are evacuating out of the Keys, so to have this happen twice within a single season is highly unusual," said Reggie Paros, director of the Marathon airport.

As a precautionary measure, meteorologists issued a tropical storm watch for a portion of the Keys last Friday, but this was discontinued early Sunday morning.

The outer rain bands of Jeanne that brushed the Keys, had no impact on the area's infrastructure, according to tourism officials. All accommodations and attractions are operating normally.

The Keys even served as a venue for several weddings relocated there because of Jeanne.

Charles Young and Kathleen Gillette were to marry at The Breakers resort in Palm Beach, Fla., but early last Friday the couple was informed the hotel was evacuating guests and staff due to the storm.

Young and Gillette then called Key West event coordinator Nadene Grossman, who coincidentally had arranged the couple's first date.

"In four hours I had the entire wedding reorganized in Key West," said Grossman, minutes before the coupled exchange nuptials Sunday. "I set up a golf tournament, rehearsal dinner, reception and the ceremony on the beach, complete with a string quartet that drove down from Miami."

The wedding was staged at the Key West Hilton Resort's Sunset Key and the reception at the Southernmost House Grand Hotel.

Of 200 committed guests, 110 had checked in to The Breakers and a nearby property prior to last Friday, so hotel management arranged for three buses to move the wedding party to Key West, according to Grossman. She added that The Breakers even sent some of their own staff -- including senior event director Richard Grille -- to help with the event.

For further information on The Florida Keys & Key West, call 1-800-FLA-KEYS, or visit the destination's Web site at http://www.fla-keys.com. For details on other Florida regions, visit http://www.visitflorida.com.