Hurricane Wilma Live Thread, Part III (TS Alpha gets honorable mention too)

NHC - NOAA ^ | 22 October 2005 | NHC - NOAA

[NautiNurse]

Hurricane Wilma slowly drifts toward the Southeast Gulf of Mexico after relentlessly pounding Cozumel and Cancun for more than 24 hours. Early reports indicate extensive wind and flood damage to Mexico's resort-studded Mayan Riviera. Mexican officials said about 20,000 tourists were at shelters and hotels on the mainland south of Cancun and an estimated 10,000-12,000 were in Cancun itself. About 50 hotels were evacuated.

In preparation for Hurricane Wilma's anticipated Florida landfall, a Hurricane Watch and mandatory evacuation have been issued for the Florida Keys and Florida Bay. Mandatory evacuations for Marco Island and much of Naples are in effect, as well as high surf advisories and high risk of rip currents along Florida's panhandle and Big Bend coasts. Bus services are available for Monroe Co. and other counties for residents who do not have transportation. Additional storm watches for the Florida peninsula are expected later today.

The 2005 hurricane season altered the record books again today with the formation of Tropical Storm Alpha south of Hispanola. Preliminary forecasts indicate TS Alpha will not affect the U.S. mainland.

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
Florida Department of Emergency Management

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

Streaming Video:

WBBH-TV/WZVN-TV Ft. Myers (WMP): http://waterbc.wm.llnwd.net/waterbc_netvideo
WESH-TV/DT Orlando/Daytona Beach (RP): http://mfile.akamai.com/7883/live/reflector:24028.ram
WFTV-TV/DT Orlando (RP): http://mfile.akamai.com/7883/live/reflector:20361.ram
WKMG-TV/DT Orlando (RP): http://mfile.akamai.com/7883/live/reflector:23942.ram
WPBF-TV/DT West Palm Beach (RP): http://mfile.akamai.com/7883/live/reflector:24035.ram
WSVN-TV/DT Miami (WMP): http://216.242.118.140/windowsmedia/asx/wsvn_broadband.asx
WTVJ-TV/DT Miami: http://nbc6.feedroom.com/iframeset.jsp?ord=381015
WPLG-TV/DT Miami (RP): http://mfile.akamai.com/8660/live/reflector:23941.ram
WFOR-TV/DT Miami (WMP): http://wfor.dayport.com/viewer/content/special.php?Art_ID=612&Format_ID=2&BitRate_ID=8&Contract_ID=2&Obj_ID={obj_id}
WTSP-TV/DT St. Petersburg/Tampa (WMP): mms://wmbcast.gannett.speedera.net/wmbcast.gannett/wmbcast_gannett_sep252004_1915_64623
Hurricane City (Real Player) - http://hurricanecity.com/live.ram
ABCNews Now (Real Player) - http://reallive.stream.aol.com/ramgen/redundant/abc/now_hi.rm

Additional Resources:

Pet Friendly Florida Shelter Info
Central Florida Hurricane Center
Hurricane City
CrownWeather.com

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

Previous Threads:
Hurricane Wilma Part II
Hurricane Wilma Live Thread
Tropical Storm Wilma
Tropical Depression #24

[steveegg]

Should have known you'd toss it.

[CedarDave]

I believe that should be 103 miles west-southwest (242 degrees) of Everglades City and 87 miles southwest (232 degrees) of Marco Island.

[steveegg]

Thanks.

[steveegg]

Do we really need to go back there right now?

[Paradox]

Aww rats, from the rightmost map, it looks like the southern eye wall is going to pass right over my home, and I didn't have time to board it up properly. Too late to go elsewhere either, but I do have one safe room in this house.

Winds are blowin pretty good right now (mid Broward County FL). I sure hope she peters out a bit as she passes over the peninsula. I did notice that according to the radar loop out of Key West, the eye seems to be collapsing or something.

[jeffers]

It wasn't as easy as all that. Things are a little foggy here, coffee not kicking in yet. I couldn't get the time to fit.

[Elle Bee]

I think we've just taken the best she has ... the down side is that the surge will hit most of the islands at high tide

it seems to be lessening now

It wasn't toobad but I've heard from friends on the south side of the island and they've taken water

.

[steveegg]

Ouch. Good luck.

The "collapse" depends on which radar you look at. The base reflectivity doesn't show it, but the composite reflectivity does. I suspect that the composite view is being "fooled"; the eye still looks pretty decent on the IR satellite.

[CedarDave]

I did notice that according to the radar loop out of Key West, the eye seems to be collapsing or something.

Yeah, I see that too. What is it? Dry air being entrained from the north?

[laz]

The worst is yet to come for Key West. Radar shows the eyewall still approaching.

[laz]

Eye looks fine in the visible floater too.

[exhaustedmomma]

Go read something else... you have too much else to make your blood boil right about now. Do you have your coffee making stuff ready? Comfort foods? Deck of cards?

We have these little hand held ham radio things... can only talk on them during emergencies. Handy little things... you can listen to all of the emergency stuff going on. Do you have one of those?

[jeffers]

You'vew probably seen the densest rain you will see for a while, but I think your wind is going to climb a little higher before it eases off. You're not at the CPA yet, close ut not quite. Got any surge reports?

[tiredoflaundry]

Morning!

[jeffers]

Base reflectivity indicates new convection on the previously open SE quad of the inner eyewall. It filled in solid at 30 DBZ and there are new areas at 50 DBZ as well.

[laz]

Do you have one of those?

No.

I need to take a break. I've gotten only three hours of sleep in the past 36 hours. I'm getting a headache.

[exhaustedmomma]

Morning! Tired of laundry... God, me too! It never ends.

[exhaustedmomma]

I'm getting a headache.

LOL!!

[steveegg]

Morning.