Patrick Oppmann
CNN producer

The allure of the florida keys has always been that its an escape.

Sapphire blue waters stretch endlessly into the horizon, on key west a wild chicken crossing the street can stop traffic.

But tourist Debbie Thomas found out that getting away from an escape can be even harder than getting to one.

Hurricane Ike cut thomas' vacation short. Instead of hitting the beaches or bars thomas spent hours sunday trying to get one of the last flights out.

"The hotels tell you you can't stay. Its stressfull," she said.

There's good reason the keys, a tourist mecca, is asking its visitors to leave.

Connected by a single road to the mainland the florida keys are isolated and lowlying, in some places just a few feet above sea level. They are perhaps the worse place in the world to weather a hurricane.

On Sunday, city officials and residents breathed a small sigh of relief that the keys are predicted to miss the worst of Ike. But there's always the possibility of a late shift in the storms track. And then there would be no place to escape.

Susan Roesgen
CNN Correspondent

Another day in paradise!

This is on the beach in Islamorada... Look for this spot in our live shots...