Flack, one of thousands who decided to flout official evacuation orders and ride out Hurricane Ian, was not worried about her safety. Some 2.5 million coastal residents and others in danger zones around Tampa, Ft. Myers and nearby communities were ordered or encouraged to evacuate ahead of the massive storm. But many did not, with some simply vowing to ride it out and others unable to leave for financial or other reasons. In Venice, Doug Toe walked through rainfall on Wednesday morning to see how a friend's home was weathering the storm. Nearby, residents of an assisted living facility also decided to ride out the storm in a new building meant to withstand the most severe hurricanes.

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