In the Nation
Fury creeps to New Orleans
Predictions call for Georges to slow as it nears the city with its 115-mph winds whipping seas up to 15 to 20 feet and its deluge of rain putting much of New Orleans under water. AP updates. More national and world news

In Florida
Some wouldn't leave: 'We were silly'
Some Keys residents who refused to flee the storm endured hours of terror -- and emerged feeling lucky. More Florida news

Back pain greets Todd Harwood around 5 a.m. Saturday after a night's rest of the floor of Dixie Hollins High School. [Times photo: Cherie Diez]

Tampa Bay
Low evacuation rate is troubling
Officials in Pinellas and Hillsborough say many residents did not take the warnings seriously.
More Tampa Bay news
Donating leftover supplies not always the best answer
So you spent twice your weekly food budget on canned peas, peanut butter, flashlights and batteries, and Georges decided to put in an appearance in New Orleans instead of Tampa Bay.
Insurance companies not worried
Florida's insurers breathed a sigh of relief along with residents Saturday as Hurricane Georges brushed by the state's southwest coast. Damage around Tampa Bay and even further south appeared minimal.

The media
TV stations air whirlwind of coverage
Local stations stormed the airwaves with various tactics to draw viewers into their broadcasts.

Commentary
Evacuating remains best move
Sometimes there is a gap between what you know perfectly well you are supposed to say, and what you really feel like saying.

Pinellas County
Expected tension turns into breeze
TARPON SPRINGS -- It was a scene fit for a natural disaster.
Storm misses but business hit
ST. PETERSBURG -- Businesses along Tampa Bay's beaches will remember Hurricane Georges as a big disaster drill that cost them thousands of dollars.
With family, nursing home homey
Relatives stay the night with loved ones and wait out Georges together at a nursing home.
Sheltered evacuees quick to clear out
CLEARWATER -- Babies were crying. Men were snoring. Doors were slamming, and toilets were flushing.
Drainage problems far from solved
Though some improvements have been completed, Pinellas Park still struggles with flooding during storms.
Weather may put strain on drains
While recent drainage projects should help lower water levels, city engineers will be out in force today, checking and unclogging drains, if necessary.

Hillsborough
Tampa eases back to normal
TAMPA -- The morning after the Hurricane That Never Came, Waiel Bayyat opened his jewelry repair shop just before noon while his son removed the plywood from the store's windows.
Power crews left with little to do
"We've seen far worse during a summer thunderstorm than we did yesterday," a Tampa Electric spokesman said.

Pasco
Safe, sound and home again
Whether prepared to ride it out in shelters or at home, residents were grateful Hurricane Georges passed them by. More Pasco news
• Evacuees take storm in stride
• Customers clear shelves of videos
• After storm's miss, calm returns
• Storm seen as threat to already-stalled hearing

Citrus
As storm breezes by, Citrus sighs with relief
Although the major threat has passed, officials warn that storm surges and high tides could cause flooding. More Citrus news
• Planet Bubba partiers defy storm's threat
• Lessons of past can be lifesavers for future

Hernando
Storm drifts away from coast
Georges' path toward the northwest spares the area of major damage, but officials still worry about a possible storm surge for early today. More Hernando news
• Volunteers help tend to evacuees