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

[NonValueAdded]

Welcome back. I am so envious you had the chance to FReep with the legendary DC Chapter! Saw the photos of you doing good work outside Walter Reed on a Friday night or two. Bravo!

A few weeks ago there were stories in the local news about families that DID receive their insurance check but had not yet completed repairs. The caution was that any damage until the repairs were finished would not be covered! You might want to be wary of a sudden offer of a check on Friday morning!

[varina davis]

Looks like Alpha might be on the way, NautiNurse. Check out the huge burst of deepening convection just SE of the Windwards:

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA/RT/WATL/IR4/20.jpg

[laz]

You don't think there'll be surge wherever she happens to make landfall in FL? For example, the Naples/Everglades area?

[Ellesu]

http://stormcarib.com/closest.htm

[laz]

Looks like Alpha might be on the way

I was watching that last night, even as Wilma was bombing out. Accuweather was saying it could develop over the next few days.

I'll go out on a limb and say we get to TS Gamma before all is said and done. ;)

[blam]

I was just doing a search for something else and came across this site. It is a site about a ship that rescued some Vietnamese boat people in 1980. The Vietnamese are now grown and thanking the crew for their rescue. I was struck with the success of these rescued people: Master degree; CalPoly, college math professor, etc.

Isn't America wonderful! (These people sure blow a hole in the welfare mindset, huh?)

[AFPhys]

I vote right here and now that instead of 'Alpha' we name the next one algore

That's just about as 'alpha' as we can get at this time of history, I would think... a couple years late, but I don't think that whosername... his campaign advisor... brawley?... would think it inappropriate - she would support it completely.

[blam]

"I don't know if they are sold out in your area, but in the sporting goods/camping department Walmart's has some small single burner propane stoves."

I have one of those, they're excellent. The propane lantern is very good too.

[laz]

Isn't America wonderful!

It sure is, for those with the initiative to make use of the opportunities it offers, instead of sitting around whining and griping and demanding to be taken care of.

[tutstar]

It's fiction.

[Marak]

Thanks for the link!

T - 84.2 hours

[nicolezmomma]

No Need for divorce

It's kind of a joke right now, but I'm not kidding about getting out of dodge and he's not kidding about staying. We have plenty of cars, but we both feel like the other one is being ridiculous. It's funny now, but won't be when THE BIG ONE is coming.

[Rebelbase]

Storm surge isn't an issue for the east coast of Fl. with this storm.

[U S Army EOD]

What a great story, that needs to be nationally published.

[laz]

I vote right here and now that instead of 'Alpha' we name the next one algore

I suppose Wilma is the third sip from that bitter cup he talked about.

[dirtboy]

It's kind of a joke right now, but I'm not kidding about getting out of dodge and he's not kidding about staying.

My mom and dad live along the Texas Coast near Corpus. My dad pulled a Nagin and did crossword puzzles for two days as Rita moved into the Gulf. By the time the town they live in issued an evacuation order, it was nearly impossible to find a hotel room within 600 miles (I spent two hours and finally found one).

My mom was ready to divorce him after that one. But she got over it, especially since Rita missed them by hundreds of miles. So in the end, a lot depends upon what the hurricane actually does.

[exhaustedmomma]

One of my son-in-laws has the propane latern... it really puts out the light! I like the little stove cooker because it is so compact... easy to store and easy to transport.
We also use our propane fish cooker... to heat water for cleaning. Even water caught during the storm is useful with a little bleach and heat! Save the good stuff for drinking! AND I keep clorox wipe ups on hand.

[laz]

It's fiction.

Fiction is fiction. That movie is liberal propaganda. It might as well have been written, directed, and produced by algore.

[floriduh voter]

Remember the bar cam from New Orleans? That didn't last long. Harry's Bar was it?

[nwctwx]

There will be some surge, probably moderate... nothing that most won't be able to deal with though. With Rita and Katrina we saw massive surge thanks to the fact that they churned at cat 5 for a while, but also because they didn't deviate track too much. This storm is pushing the main body of surge towards mexico, then it will weaken as it moves the opposite direction... so, surge shouldn't be a major deal.