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

[dixie sass]

Kind of a wet morning, huh?

I haven't heard from my son in Key West.

[dixie sass]

How are you doing?

[debg]

Just saw 3 transformers blow at the Dade/Broward county line area. One blue explosion right after another. Sad but pretty. It's howling pretty good here.

[steveegg]

Over on TWC.

[steveegg]

Whoa; cool.

[not-alone]

Praying for all of you. Hope everyone is staying safe.

[LibertyRocks]

I can only imagine. I've got my best friend in Tampa with her kids right now - husband is overseas (AF). So I'm praying for both of you - and EVERYONE in the path of this thing..

[NautiNurse]

Keep having brownouts electricity flickering here. Hurrying to get the new thread up before losing info.

[steveegg]

Stay safe. Hopefully, the one that gets the power to you doesn't join them.

[laz]

How are things in your neck of the woods?

[Major_Risktaker]

This slight left shift we're seeing right now could put that up to 13 to 15 easily.

Yikes! All the homes will be underwater.

[flattorney]

>>>Please don't. I really have had it with people downplaying this and claiming things that have no relation to the reality. I'm not in the mood for it.<<<

Definition of Hurricane Expert: Someone that has never left the State of Montana, lol.

I've lived on the water in hurricane path's my whole life. I've also done a lot of ocean sailing. That stated, I shut everything down and left Key Biscayne early Thursday morning, (I’m in Houston) because Wilma was too dangerous and unpredictable.

[jeffers]

Check out posts 1843 and 1847.

The Florida grids in a sorry state right now, if transformers in Miami are causing line fluctuations in...points northwest.

[Carolinamom]

I know that St. Petersburg (where my daughter is) is not in Wilma's path, but does anyone know what kind of weather fall out will be there?

[jeffers]

Well, that's just sea level. That water will be driven by stout Cat-3 winds.

Marco Island will no longer exist by ten am, and possibly not even when the water goes back down. That there won't be more than 5 % of the man-made structures left is a given, the remaining question is whether the foundation of the island itself survives or not.

[steveegg]

That's not good. I wonder how much of the grid we'd lose if the fluctuations get worse.

[jslade]

Here's what Marco Island will look like with a five foot surge:

Yikes! Where'd Marco Island go. Hope that FReeper's parents got the hell out of there.

[standingfirm]

Morning,

Just up here in Sarasota (well officially up, been listening to the storm since 3)

It's a TS here, with higher gusts. I wish I had a way to know what the winds are here. It's loud out there. St. Pete - folks should be fine.

[jeffers]

Where are you at?

[Carolinamom]

Thanks loads. Take care.