Hurricane Wilma Live Thread (As of 2:30 am EDT, Wilma is a Category 5 with 175-mph winds )

NHC - NOAA ^ | 18 October 2005 | NHC - NOAA

[NautiNurse]

Hurricane Wilma has formed in the NW Caribbean Sea. The NHC forecast indicates she will emerge into the Gulf of Mexico as a major Category Three storm. Current forecase models indicate a Florida peninsula landfall.

The following links are self-updating:

Public Advisory Currently published every 3 hours 0500, 0800, 1100 etc. ET
NHC Discussion Published every six hours 0500, 1100, 1700, 2300 ET
Three Day Forecast Track
Five Day Forecast Track

Wilma Forecast Track Archive
Forecast Models
Buoy Data SE Florida
Current Weather Warnings and Watches for Florida

Images:

Storm Floater IR Loop
Visible Storm Floater Still (only visible during daylight hours)
Color Enhanced Atlantic Loop
Florida Radar/Sat Loop Caution: Broadband users only
Extra Large Miami Radar Broadband only
Extra Large Key West Radar Broadband only
Miami Long Range Radar Loop
Key West Long Range Radar Loop
Miami Experimental Radar Still Image
Key West Experimental Radar Still Image

Category	Wind Speed	Barometric Pressure	Storm Surge	Damage Potential
Tropical Depression	< 39 mph < 34 kts			Minimal
Tropical Storm	39 - 73 mph 34 - 63 kts			Minimal
Hurricane 1 (Weak)	74 - 95 mph 64 - 82 kts	28.94" or more 980.02 mb or more	4.0' - 5.0' 1.2 m - 1.5 m	Minimal damage to vegetation
Hurricane 2 (Moderate)	96 - 110 mph 83 - 95 kts	28.50" - 28.93" 965.12 mb - 979.68 mb	6.0' - 8.0' 1.8 m - 2.4 m	Moderate damage to houses
Hurricane 3 (Strong)	111 - 130 mph 96 - 112 kts	27.91" - 28.49" 945.14 mb - 964.78 mb	9.0' - 12.0' 2.7 m - 3.7 m	Extensive damage to small buildings
Hurricane 4 (Very strong)	131 - 155 mph 113 - 135 kts	27.17" - 27.90" 920.08 mb - 944.80 mb	13.0' - 18.0' 3.9 m - 5.5 m	Extreme structural damage
Hurricane 5 (Devastating)	Greater than 155 mph Greater than 135 kts	Less than 27.17" Less than 920.08 mb	Greater than 18.0' Greater than 5.5m	Catastrophic building failures possible

[Termite_Commander]

lol

I like those. You should mass produce them.

[sarasota]

And that is...???

[laz]

That is a really dramatic right turn towards Florida.

Rove is giving Jeb another opportunity to make Blanco and Nagin look bad. ;)

[DustyMoment]

I live just up I-4 from you and I hope you're wrong, but I have a bad feeling about this one. Hurricanes never turn as sharply as this one is predicted to turn.

I'm sure you know that most hurricane path predictions are pretty much crap until about 72 hours of landfall - that's when they get fairly accurate.

I'll keep my eyes on this one until we all know for sure.

[CajunConservative]

Prayers are being sent your way since this one seems to be aimed right at you.

[steveegg]

You should go into business selling painted shutters.

[NautiNurse]

I like those. You should mass produce them.

Last year, abner suggested selling them on eBay as hurricane art.

[NCjim]

Ping to the Hurricane Wilma live thread ...

[steveegg]

Is it too early to dig up Miami/Key West/Tampa TV live streams?

[Senator Goldwater]

Any word on the Cayman's would be appreciated.

I have a sister down there on a diving expedition.

[I still care]

Aw, geez. I was beginning to hope we would escape. I have two big new puppies at that awkward age (6 mos)and I really can't bring them to anyone's house if we have to evacuate. They chew, are not trustworthy with housebreaking, etc.

We are supposed to go down to Sarasota on Sat, looks like that trip may be out.

[Strategerist]

It's going to miss the Caymans by a good amount; the Caymans are outside of the cone of possible movement of the center, and they look to be outside even the 35 knot wind radius.

They'll get some real high seas, which unfortunately would screw up the diving I'd guesss.

[Txsleuth]

bttt

[dawn53]

Check for any posts by onyx.

Her daughter lives there.

We lived there for a few years. South side of the island is probably getting high seas, as well as west end. But she may be able to go diving in the North Sound as it is pretty much protected from high seas. Stingray City is in the North Sound...she'll love it.

[Hatteras]

"And that is...???"

The best part about Hurricanes of course...

Stephanie Abrams from The Weather Channel

[Chanticleer]

Probably. I've been trying to convince my parents to move here... there hasn't been a direct hit in my area for over 50 years....

[Senator Goldwater]

Thanks for the information. She goes there to dive quite frequently, and we joked last week about her waiting until the end of hurricane season.

But as Maxwell Smart would say:

"Missed it by thisss much"

[Humvee]

All the spaghetti tracksexcept one have it going south of Lake Okeechobee. Oh well, just what I needed for the weekend. We just used up the gasoline for our generator - now another trip to the gas station before the hordes descend.

[El Gato]

When she gets a little closer to the Yucatan Channel, we should be able to get a good look at her from the Cancun radar

http://smn.cna.gob.mx/radares/rad-canc.jpg

Not much to see yet though.

[fredhead]

I think my wife has a thing for Jim Cantore.

Hatteras, you think Wilma will turn north after it gets into the Altantic?

Sure hope not. (I'm in Norfolk and have family in Morehead City.)