By Nicola M. White

9:22 a.m., Zephyrhills

Philip Thornton, 85, and his retiree buddies gather, as they always do, to play shuffleboard at the Zephyrhills Tourist Club. The courts are a tad damp from overnight rain, but that’s the only way Ernesto interrupts their game. A damp court can slow down the block, or puck, they explain.

“They say it’s going to be no problem over here,” Thornton says, resting between shuffling.

A sign nearby reads, “Zephyrhills Shuffleboard: Experience the Excitement.”

Thornton hopes neither Ernesto nor any other storm this year will do much damage to his home—he gave up his homeowner’s insurance this year because the price got too high. He lives in an retiree RV park off Chancey Road.

“Well, what happens, happens,” he says, getting on with the game.