Gear up Florida!

[ems-buff 81]

From the National weather service:

Hurricane Wilma slightly Wednesday as sustained winds came down from their peak of 175 mph. However, Wilma remains an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm with top winds of 155 mph. After undergoing a stunning intensification last night, Wilma became the most intense hurricane on record in the Atlantic Basin when its pressure plunged to 882 mb (26.05" on your home barometer). The pressure has since risen slightly, but is still lower than Rita and Katrina ever attained. The eye of wild Wilma continues to follow a wobbling WNW track through the western Caribbean with a turn toward the NW expected during the next 24 hours.

Fluctuations in Wilma's intensity are likely. The projected track of the storm alludes to a potential landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula. Beyond that, Wilma is expected to fall under the influence of westerly winds aloft blowing across the Gulf. That should shift the hurricane toward the Florida Peninsula, probably the southern part of the peninsula, this weekend. Some weakening is expected by then, but could there is a high potential that Wilma may still be a major hurricane (winds over 110 mph) when it makes landfall.

Meanwhile, in the Caribbean, Wilma's downpours will continue to lash Cuba, the Cayman Islands, Swan Island and areas from Honduras northward to Yucatan Peninsula. As much as 25 inches of rain may unload on the mountainous terrain of Cuba through Friday.

HURRICANE WILMA LOCAL STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL 200 AM EDT THU OCT 20 2005

...MANDATORY EVACUATION OF ALL VISITORS AND NON-RESIDENTS... ...NO HURRICANE WATCHES OR WARNINGS IN EFFECT AT THIS TIME...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE... STORM INFORMATION UPDATED.

...AREAS AFFECTED... THIS STATEMENT IS SPECIFIC TO THE FLORIDA KEYS OF MONROE COUNTY... INCLUDING THE DRY TORTUGAS.

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS... THERE ARE NO HURRICANE OR TROPICAL STORM WATCHES OR WARNINGS IN EFFECT FOR ANY PORTION OF THE FLORIDA KEYS AT THIS TIME...SINCE TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE WATCHES ARE ISSUED WHEN TROPICAL STORM OR HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT HAS ORDERED A MANDATORY EVACUATION OF ALL VISITORS AND NON-RESIDENTS IN THE FLORIDA KEYS. COUNTY AND STATE PARKS THROUGHOUT THE KEYS ARE CLOSED. ALL RECREATIONAL AND HIGH-PROFILE VEHICLES ARE DIRECTED TO LEAVE THE KEYS. LIVE-ABOARD BOAT RESIDENTS ARE ALSO DIRECTED TO EVACUATE. RESIDENTS IN THE FLORIDA KEYS SHOULD BEGIN MAKING THEIR HURRICANE PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT THEIR HOMES AND BUSINESSES. A PHASED MANDATORY EVACUATION FOR RESIDENTS OF THE KEYS IS LIKELY TO BEGIN AT NOON ON THURSDAY. OFFICIALS PLAN TO OPEN THE SHELTER AT FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY ON THURSDAY TO ACCEPT RESIDENT EVACUEES. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS DO NOT PLAN ON OPENING SHELTERS IN THE KEYS. MONROE COUNTY SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. ALL GOVERNMENT OFFICES IN MONROE COUNTY WILL BE CLOSED THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. THE DRAWBRIDGES AT SNAKE CREEK AND JEWFISH CREEK WILL BE LOCKED IN THE DOWN POSITION AT NOON ON THURSDAY TO ALLOW UNINTERRUPTED FLOW OF VEHICULAR TRAFFIC. THE TOLLS ON CARD SOUND ROAD HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED. THE MONROE COUNTY EMERGENCY INFORMATION HOTLINE IS 1-800-955-5504.

...WIND IMPACTS... WINDS WILL REMAIN SAFE FOR TRAVEL FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BRING VERY BRIEF...LOCALLY STRONGER WIND GUSTS TO 30 MPH AT TIMES. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE KEYS AS EARLY AS SATURDAY AFTERNOON. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE SATURDAY NIGHT.

...MARINE IMPACTS... EAST WINDS NEAR 15 KNOTS...MAY INCREASE TO 15 TO 20 KNOTS EARLY THURSDAY MORNING. SMALL CRAFT ARE URGED TO USE CAUTION BEGINNING THURSDAY MORNING.

Also as a side note I was watching CNN and they said if you guys are getting sick of the gas prices just wait. Because of Hurricane Wilma 45% on the Nations produce is grown in Florida so expect prices in that department to go up as well.

Also they said that this is the first storm in history to get this much strength in 24 hrs. It's is also going to hit us by next week. Not as a hurricane but as a whole lot of rain and with all the water that we got last week they are calling for major flooding to occur. So watch out you guys. Start to build that ark again

Don’t you just love mother nature. We did something to piss her off.

Edited October 20, 2005 by ems-buff

[mfc2257 464]

I'm not thrilled about hurricane dodging down here this weekend.... BUT it looks like this bad boy is slowing down and is going to spend more time over the Yucatan Peninsulia than expected earlier. Hopefully it won't make landfall as more than a CAT 2.

Unless things change, we should just have a rainy weekend in Orlando, but then again last year one of the storms was supposed to hit down south but wound up crusing straight through Maitland, FL (8 miles from Orlando) at the very last second.

Good thing I was still in Millwood.

[JohnnyOV 2]

ill be looting, see you guys in a couple of weeks and bring home some goods!! Just kidding..I may come home for this storm.

Edited October 20, 2005 by EMSJunkie712

[Guest]

Still telling us we're in the cone and to prepare here in Clearwater (between Tampa Bay and Gulf). Strange, but because of the unique location, we very often get spared, although Jeanne left a mess last year. We shall see!

[ems-buff 81]

From the National Weather Service:

Hurricane Wilma is a dangerous Category 4 hurricane (sustained winds 150 mph) as it threatens massive damage along the Yucatan Coast, including Cozemel and Cancun. Rainfall amounts through Friday may total between 10 to 15 inches for parts of western Cuba and the Yucatan - possibly as much as 25 inches over the mountainous terrain of western Cuba. Moreover, battering waves of 15 to 30 feet will continue to punish these coastlines.

            Locations like Cancun and Cozumel could be pounded for 30 hours with a strong Category 4 or Category 5 hurricane, causing complete destruction of poorly built structures, a 10-to-15-foot surge and wave action up to 30 feet. Over the weekend, Wilma is expected to come under the influence of stronger westerly winds aloft blowing across the Gulf. That should shift the hurricane toward southern Florida by Sunday or even Monday. Time over land plus the influence of westerly shear could weaken this storm considerably even if it affects Florida.

[Guest]

Hit Cancun this morning . . . waiting for news from a friend who is vacationing there.

[ems-buff 81]

From Weather.com:

Hurricane Wilma is gradually moving faster. After slipping off the Yucatan Peninsula into the Gulf of Mexico early Sunday morning, the storm is now accelerating toward southern Florida. Wilma's forward speed is up to 15 mph and even faster movement to 25 mph is anticipated. Landfall is expected in south Florida early Monday, probably near sunrise. The hurricane has strengthened slightly with maximum sustained winds near 110 mph and more strengthening could occur before Wilma smacks into the Sunshine State.

Hurricane warnings remain posted for the southern Florida Peninsula including the Keys and Lake Okeechobee. Warnings also remain up for western Cuba and the northwestern Bahamas.

Since Wilma will continue to speed up as it passes over Florida, rainfall totals will not be excessive. The rain will be blinding at times, however, and general totals of 4 to 6 inches are forecast, with isolated 8-to-12-inch amounts possible.

Wind damage will be widespread, particularly from Lake Okeechobee southward, and residents should be prepared for power outages and downed trees. At least a little damage will be possible as far north as Tampa and Orlando since Wilma's wind field is large and expanding.

Water level rise--a combination of storm surge and wave set-up--will be locally 10 feet along the southwest coast of Florida and 5 to 8 feet in the Keys. Even the east coast of the peninsula can expect a 1- to 3-foot water rise on Monday.

The outer rain bands are moving across the Keys and into southwest Florida. Some of the squalls contain waterspouts or tornadoes. In general, the arrival of the rain bands signals the beginning of a steady deterioration in weather conditions for south Florida from here on out. Also heavy rain is falling along a frontal boundary stalled over central Florida.

Alpha, meanwhile, has weakened to a tropical depression after making landfall in the Dominican Republic Sunday morning. It has pushed across Haiti and back over open water, but is not expected to regain tropical storm strength as it heads north over the southeastern Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands. Alpha will be short-lived as it gets absorbed by the larger circulation of Hurricane Wilma Monday.

Also this is the first time in close to 80yrs since we every had a Alpha storm in the Atlantic Basin. Just to give you guys an idea on how rare it is to see Roman Name storms