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Evacuees head home, wonder what they will find

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The Irma nightmare isn't over Birgit Jones.  "It's terrible."

She's from Key West. 

"It's a roller coaster of hope, and preparing yourself for the worst."

She ran from the storm as it made its way north. "I have the kids in the car, the dog in the car. Fortunately, hotels took in pets."

She and her family rode out the storm near Tampa which also felt Irma's blow.

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About half a million people in this part of the state are still without power. Inland there are still some flooding issues, but considering what the storm could have been many are happy it wasn't worse.

Paula Fitzell woke up to a tree breaking through her roof in South Tampa. "When I came out and saw this tree leaning on this house and the house started to buckle and then I got scared I did not sleep here last night."

Across Tampa, there are sounds of cleanup and the push to get back to normal life. 

One part of our state is thankful for Irma's mercy another is still unsure what this storm left behind.