Hurricane Wilma*Update from Gamer*

Well the latest path now has Wilma coming almost directly at my city.

I hope it turns, but if it doesn't we are always prepared (canned food, water, flaslights, the works). Well now my local news is saying that a high and a front will steer this. If the high weakens and moves east, the path will miss us. If not, then we will have to be prepared. Even if it does weaken, my news said that we could still have hurricane force winds.

I will keep everyone updated the rest of this week.

Here is the latest on the system (updated several times a day):

Coastal Watches/Warnings and 3-Day Cone:



Coastal Watches/Warnings and 5-Day Cone:



Wind Speed Forecast And Probability Chart:

 

Re: Tropical Storm Wilma

Tell me about it.

Thanks Ryan.

Erik

 

Re: Tropical Storm Wilma

Thanks Wiggy.

The good thing is that Wilma's track has moved further to the right, which is good news for us. But then again, hurricanes can do whatever they want.

 

Wirelessly posted (Motorola Razr V3: MOT-V3/0E.40.9CR MIB/2.2.1 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.0 UP.Link/6.3.0.0.0)

Thanks. I will definitely keep you and everyone else updated.

 

Re: Tropical Storm Wilma

Thanks 0oLakeShoreo0.

I appreciate it.

 

Re: Hurricane Wilma

Thanks Eddie.

Don't worry. I will.

 

Re: Hurricane Wilma

Thanks lilprincess2.

My family and I are already getting ready for it (we filled up our cars with gas yesterday), and we will top all of them off either today or tomorrow morning.

I will keep everyone posted.

 

Re: Hurricane Wilma

Wilma now an ‘extremely dangerous’ Cat. 5
Huge storm headed toward C. America, Mexico; may hit Florida by weekend

The Associated Press
Updated: 7:12 a.m. ET Oct. 19, 2005


SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras - Gathering strength at a fierce pace, Hurricane Wilma grew into a Category 5 monster storm early Wednesday with 175 mph winds. Forecasters warned the storm was “extremely dangerous” and said a key reading of its pressure was the lowest ever recorded in the Atlantic basin.

Wilma was dumping rain on Central America and Mexico, and forecasters warned of a “significant threat” to Florida by the weekend.

“All interests in the Florida Keys and the Florida peninsula should closely monitor the progress of extremely dangerous Hurricane Wilma,” the National Hurricane Center in Miami said in its latest advisory.

The storm gathered force rapidly over the last day. It was only Tuesday morning that Wilma grew from a tropical storm into a weak hurricane.

At 5 a.m. EDT, U.S. Air Force reconnaissance planes measured Wilma’s top sustained winds at 175 mph, making it a Category 5 hurricane, the Hurricane Center said. At that time, the storm was centered about 170 miles south-southwest of Grand Cayman Island and about 365 miles southeast of Cozumel, Mexico. It was moving west-northwest at nearly 8 mph and was expected to turn northwest, the Hurricane Center said.

“It does look like it poses a significant threat to Florida by the weekend. Of course, these are four- and five-day forecasts, so things can change,” said Dan Brown, a meteorologist at the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

The Air Force plane recorded a preliminary pressure reading Wednesday morning of 884 millibars, the lowest minimum pressure ever recorded in a hurricane in the Atlantic basin. Lower pressure translates into higher wind speed.

Heading toward Yucatan Channel
Jamaica, Cuba, Nicaragua and Honduras were getting heavy rain from the storm, though it wasn’t likely to make landfall in any of those countries. Forecasts showed it would likely turn toward the narrow Yucatan Channel between Cuba and Mexico’s Cancun region — then move into the storm-weary Gulf.

With heavy rain, high winds, and rough seas already pounding coastal areas, flood-prone Honduras warned that Wilma posed “an imminent threat to life and property” and closed two seaports on its Caribbean coast. Neighboring Nicaragua also declared an alert. Authorities in the Cayman Islands had earlier called an alert.

Honduras and its neighbors already are recovering from flooding and mudslides caused earlier this month from storms related to Hurricane Stan. At least 796 people were killed, most of them in Guatemala, with many more still missing.

Cuba issued a hurricane watch for the western end of the island from Matanzas to Pioneer del Rio, as well as the Isle of Youth. Mexico issued a hurricane watch for nearly all of its Caribbean coast from Punta Gruesa to Cabo Catoche, an area that includes the resort of Cancun.

Wilma already had been blamed for one death in Jamaica as a tropical depression Sunday. It has flooded several low-lying communities and triggered mudslides that blocked roads and damaged several homes, said Barbara Carby, head of Jamaica’s emergency management office. She said that some 250 people were in shelters throughout the island.

Getting ready in Florida
Although the storm was not expected to approach Florida until the weekend, some residents began buying water, canned food and other emergency supplies early. Many said they take every storm seriously now, after witnessing the devastation from a succession of hurricanes that have ravaged the southern United States.

“People have learned their lesson and know better how to prepare. We’re not waiting until the last minute anymore,” said Andrea Yerger, 48, of Port Charlotte, Florida. She was buying material to protect her house, which had to be gutted because of extensive damage from Hurricane Charley last year.

Wilma’s track could take it near Punta Gorda on Florida’s southwestern Gulf Coast and other areas in the state hit by Hurricane Charley, a Category 4 storm, in August 2004.

Forecasters urged Florida residents to closely monitor Wilma. The state has seen seven hurricanes hit or pass close by since August 2004, causing more than $20 billion in estimated damage and killing nearly 150 people.

In the Cayman Islands, authorities urged businesses to close early Tuesday to give employees time to prepare for the storm. Schools were ordered to close on Wednesday.


In Mexico, the MTV Latin America Video Music Awards ceremony, originally scheduled to be held Thursday at a seaside park south of Cancun, were moved up one day to avoid possible effects from Wilma.

Forecasters said Wilma should avoid the central U.S. Gulf coast devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita earlier this year which killed more than 1,200 people and caused billions of dollars in damage.

“There’s no scenario now that takes it toward Louisiana or Mississippi, but that could change,” said Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center.

The storm is the record-tying 12th hurricane of the season, the same number reached in 1969. That is the most for one season since record-keeping began in 1851.

On Monday, Wilma became the Atlantic hurricane season’s 21st named storm, tying the record set in 1933 and exhausting the list of names for this year.

The six-month hurricane season does not end until Nov. 30. Any new storms would be named with letters from the Greek alphabet, starting with Alpha.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9710472/


**It says in the story that a key reading of its pressure was the lowest ever recorded in the Atlantic basin.**

 

Re: Hurricane Wilma

Unless it shifts northward and moves towards central Florida.

 

Re: Hurricane Wilma

I am really not sure where we would evacuate to. It would depend on the track of the storm. We would either have to go north on I-75 on east on Alligator Alley.

I will keep everyone updated on the track and any annoucements.

 

Re: Hurricane Wilma

Update:

My classes are canceled tomorrow and Friday:

http://www.fgcu.edu/info/HurricaneUpdate.asp

 

Re: Hurricane Wilma

I certainly hope it doesn't hit us directly.

Right now they are saying that it will be hitting anywhere between Marco Island (south of me) to Ft. Myers (north of me). So either way, that means hurricane force winds.

But then again, hurricanes are very unpredictable (sp?).

 

Re: Hurricane Wilma

No. We have decided that we will hunker down and ride it out. Unless it gets so bad.

Like I said....I will have to keep everyone updated. I am going to take pictures during the hurricane (most likely from inside...since I definitely don't want to be outside ).

 

Re: Hurricane Wilma

I definitely will be doing just that.

But I will conserve it just in case power won't be back on for a while.

Do you think that I should get an extra battery for my phone?

 

Re: Hurricane Wilma

What do you mean?

Do you mean that it would be better if I had two batteries? Or would it be better with just one battery?

What would you do, ShoresGuy?