Wilma!

Jo · 23-10-2005, 18:02

Wilma is down to a category 2 already , and still a while til it gets to Florida, so it could weaken further.

23-10-2005, 21:24

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Jo
Wilma is down to a category 2 already , and still a while til it gets to Florida, so it could weaken further.
[/quote]

Here is the latest (an hour ago) Jo.......

Wilma Picks Up Speed, Heads for Florida

Hurricane Wilma was headed toward Florida on Sunday and expected to pick up speed "like a rocket," and thousands of residents had been ordered to evacuate.

The southern half of Florida's peninsula was under a hurricane warning Sunday in anticipation of Wilma, a Category 2 storm with 100 mph sustained wind. Although still far from the state, Wilma's outer bands of rain had already caused street flooding in South Florida.

Tropical storm-force wind was expected to begin lashing the state late Sunday and meteorologists said the heart of the storm was expected to roar across the state Monday.

"The time of preparing is rapidly moving into time of action as people are evacuating," Florida emergency management director Craig Fugate said.

About 850 people had registered Sunday at a Red Cross shelter in Germain Arena in Fort Myers, with some pitching tents and setting out mats on the still-melting ice where the Florida Everblades minor league hockey team plays.

"I'm just doing a lot of praying that things will work out," said David Bright, 48. "I'm born and raised right here in Fort Myers, Fla., and just know you don't play with (hurricanes)."

Wilma had been joined by Tropical Storm Alpha, which formed south Saturday off the Dominican Republic as the record 22nd named storm for the Atlantic season. It was the first time forecasters exhausted the regular list of names and had to turn to the Greek alphabet for labels in almost 60 years of naming storms. The previous record of 21 tropical storms and hurricanes had stood since 1933.

By 11 a.m. EDT on Sunday, Wilma had maximum sustained wind near 100 mph. It was centered about 285 miles west-southwest of Key West and was moving toward the northeast at about 8 mph. Hurricane-force wind of at least 74 mph extended up to 70 miles out from the center and wind blowing at tropical storm-force reached outward up to 200 miles, the hurricane center said.

Hurricane center director Max Mayfield predicted Wilma would dramatically pick up speed later Sunday and its top wind speed would increase.

**Macka** · 24-10-2005, 11:59

Wilma is now a category 3 storm, expected to make landfall south of fort Myers, and possibly Marco Island, the bulk of the storm will be over the everglades which is a blessing due to the low population density the further south you go.

Fingers crossed for everyone.

24-10-2005, 12:02

GMTV is coming live from Fort Myers this morning, lots of live coverage[msnsad]

It reminds me of last year when we were out there for Charley[msnsad]

Tornadoes are also a problem now too.

It is due to exit the state around Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

Foreign Office Info Line 0207 008 0000

**djdigitald** · 24-10-2005, 12:59

Disney is to close Monday

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/new...lose.html#more

**Macka** · 24-10-2005, 13:03

I wonder How Sandra got on? (Thumpertwinkle) they were leaving on Saturday. If you get online Sandra, let us know how you are?[msnwink]

24-10-2005, 13:11

If anyonw wants to tune in to baynews 9 @ work heres the link........

http://www.baynews9.com/BN9_Work.html

Its a TV news station but you can hear all the chat and up to date info on what's happening over there.

**Macka** · 24-10-2005, 19:22

It looks like the worst is over, Wilma ame ashore 20 miles south of naples and dropped from cat 3 to 2 by the time it was mid state, it's exiting Florida on the East coat around Fort Lauderdale.

I hope everyone's relatives, friends and property are all ok, but particularly all the restautants in and around Rotunda as that's where I'm off on me jollies in March.