Is it too early to dig up Miami/Key West/Tampa TV live streams?
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.
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.
Headed to Destin Wednesday night. Will sleep on the beach... .
Anyone know how to batten down the hatches of a tent?
Is this for real? Were you scared of Y2K too?
ROFLMAO
...cold front in the southeastern U.S. is picking up Wilma and moving it northeast, Brown said. Such a pattern is a ``fairly typical October path'' for hurricanes.
Check out the Sat/Sun. positions compared to the earlier days in the week. It's going to pick up a lot of forward speed.
From what I've seen, it looks like my parents down on Marco Island are in for a wild ride. And wouldn't you know that they took down their hurricane shutters last weekend. I think I know what they will be doing this week.
Monitoring.
If Wilma stays steady on this track, it may be possible to deliver some very high resolution surge and wind field estimates in advance of landfall.
If she's bouncing around, it becomes a race between large data files and a dial-up connection.
In any event, I'll be here more and more as we get closer to landfall, whenever that may be.
Please ping me with any eyewall diameter estimates or measurements once she hits Cat-3 and above. Thanks.
Whoops! Here we go again!
I really, really, really don't want to test our new storm shutters!
PS Thanks for the post, although I'd rather read about most anything other than Wilma!
I have to change the time of year I take vacation. Every time I have vacation a storm pops up in the gulf. Katrina, Rita, and now Wilma.
I'll scedule next years vacation during the cooler months. lol
Well, last weekend the wife and I went to church conference in Orlando. They were auctioning off pies for new church development. So I used my block ice to keep the pies cool in the cooler, figguring I would not need the ice this hurricane season. Well, now, I guess I am in a pickle. So tomorrow I go to the ice plant and buy some more ice blocks. This is getting to be a real pain!
...Wilma undergoing rapid intensification... a Hurricane Watch remains in effect for the provinces of Matanzas westward through Pinar del Rio...and for the Isle of Youth. A Hurricane Watch also remains in effect for the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico from Punta Allen to Cabo Catoche. A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area... generally within 36 hours. A Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect for Honduras from the Honduras/Nicaragua border westward to Cabo camaron. A Tropical Storm Warning and a Hurricane Watch remain in effect for the Cayman Islands. All interests in the Florida Keys and the Florida Peninsula should closely monitor the progress of Wilma. For storm information specific to your area...including possible inland watches and warnings...please monitor products issued by your local weather office. At 8 PM EDT...0000z...the center of Hurricane Wilma was located near latitude 16.7 north... longitude 81.8 west or about 185 miles... 295 km... south of Grand Cayman. While the center has wobbled a little westward over the past few hours...Wilma is moving generally toward the west-northwest near 8 mph...13 km/hr. A turn to the northwest is expected during the next 24 hours. Reports from an Air Force Reserve hurricane hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 100 mph...160 km/hr...with higher gusts. This makes Wilma a category two hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The aircraft reports that the central pressure is falling rapidly... and Wilma is expected to become a major hurricane later tonight or on Wednesday. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 15 miles... 30 km... from the center...and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 140 miles...220 km. NOAA buoy 42057 northeast of the center recently reported sustained winds of 55 mph... 88 km/hr...with a gust of 63 mph... 101 km/hr. The latest minimum central pressure reported by the hurricane hunter was 954 mb...28.17 inches. Wilma is expected to produce additional rainfall accumulations of 5 to 10 inches...with isolated amounts of 15 inches...over the Cayman Islands...Jamaica...Haiti...and Cuba. Total rainfall accumulations of 4 to 6 inches...with isolated amounts of 12 inches...are possible over portions of Honduras and Nicaragua. Repeating the 8 PM EDT position...16.7 N... 81.8 W. Movement toward...west-northwest near 8 mph. Maximum sustained winds... 100 mph. Minimum central pressure... 954 mb. The next advisory will be issued by the National Hurricane Center at 11 PM EDT. Forecaster Beven
8:14 PM Tuesday Oct 18 2005
Hurricane Wilma continues to explosively strengthen over the warm waters of the Caribbean. The storm will reach Category 3 strength early Wednesday and should become a Category 4 hurricane by the end of Wednesday.
It is not out of the question that Wilma reaches Category 5 strength some time Wednesday or Thursday, which would set a new record for the most Category 5 hurricanes in a single year. The AccuWeather.com forecasted track of Wilma shows the storm becoming a serious threat to Florida this weekend. Deviations in the path are still possible, but currently we feel southern and central Florida will experience the full fury of the storm.
When the storm makes landfall this weekend, the west coast of Florida somewhere between Tampa and the Keys could be pounded by winds over 100 mph and a destructive storm surge. Torrential rain brought by the storm will be widespread across a large portion of the state.
Story by AccuWeather.com expert senior meteorologists John Kocet and Ray Martin.
Name - Wilma
Maiden Name - Slaghoople
Address - 301 Cobblestone Way, Bedrock
First Appearance - September 30, 1960
Appearance
Gender - Female
Age - 30
Hair - Red
Eyes - Very Dark
Relationships
Marital Status - Married/Fred
Children - Pebbles
Pets - Dino/Snorkasaurus, Baby Puss/Sabertooth Tiger
Friends - Barney and Betty Rubble
Work and Hobbies
Occupation - Homemaker
Hobbies - Shopping
Preferences
Favorite Phrases - "Oh Fred," "Charge It!"
Likes - Stony Curtis, Arsenio Hallstone
Dislikes - Fred's temper tantrums, secret lodge meetings