Cary and Kathy Coker of Legacy Lending wouldn't dream of going through another hurricane without duct tape, not after what happened in Pensacola in mid-September. The couple had just celebrated one year in business as mortgage brokers when Hurricane Ivan swept through the Florida Panhandle on September 16.

Two days of preparations to save their business included packing all files and paperwork, removing computers and boarding up all the windows. But when it came time for sandbagging the doors to prevent flooding, all the area's sandbags had been snatched up.

"We sat down and prayed before we left the office and that's when Kathy said 'let's duct tape up the front and back doors,'" Cary said. "So that's just what we did - first the inside of the back door, then the outside, with silver Intertape DUCTape. Then we did the outside of the front door, said another prayer and headed home."

When they returned to the office after Ivan pummeled Pensacola, a three- foot waterline was evident on the outside of all the buildings on the street. However, once they peeled off the duct tape and went inside, the carpet was barely damp.

"Other businesses along the street all had lots of damage, including having to replace carpet and furniture," Cary said. "We didn't even have to make an insurance claim. It cost us $175 to hire in a wet/dry vacuum service and run a few fans to dry out the floor."

Kathy calls it a miracle. Stores less than a block away from their business made national television news because of the destruction, yet Legacy Lending barely suffered any damage.

"Two things saved our business from Hurricane Ivan," Cary said, "prayer and Intertape's DUCTape."

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