Hurricane Wilma Live Thread, Part IV

NHC - NOAA ^ | 24 October 2005 | NHC - NOAA

[NautiNurse]

Category Three Major Hurricane Wilma is barreling toward the Southwest Florida coastline. The storm is packing wind speeds of 125mph, moving NW at 20mph, with an enormous eye 65 miles in diameter. Landfall is anticipated shortly in Collier County between 6:00 and 7:00AM ET.

Storm surge flooding of 9 feet to 17 feet is possible along the coast near and to the south of where Wilma makes landfall. Storm surge of 5 to 8 feet is predicted for the Keys. The storm has spawned tornados throughout the Florida peninsula since yesterday evening.

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 Radar Still Image w/watches warnings
Melbourne Radar Still Image w/watches warnings
Key West Radar Still Image w/watches warnings
Tampa Bay Radar Still image w/watches warnings

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 Live Thread, Part III
Hurricane Wilma Part II
Hurricane Wilma Live Thread
Tropical Storm Wilma
Tropical Depression #24

[STARWISE]

What a heartwarming post, Luis .. so glad you and yours are OK. I bet having that simpler time with more genuine neighborly interaction, free of the daily stress and rush and all the electronic distractions of our lives today, was wonderful for all of you .. makes you think, huh? And you've got a whole new group of friends .. how great.

[sheikdetailfeather]

What a story! Glad you and yours are ok.

[sushiman]

I'm in Japan , and was happily unaware of the hurricane until today ( I don't watch tv and I was away from FR for a few days ) .

How bad was Boca Raton hit ? I've been waiting to hear from somebody who lives there for days now . No response to my emails , and all I got was an answering service when I called . Any info appreciated ...

[AggieMom x 3]

"What they need is for Selig to stop giving his friend Reinsdorf and the Sox every last advantage :-)"

Wow...thank you very much!! I knew I couldn't be the only one who felt that way! I'm sad that the Astros couldn't win one but I'm furious at Selig.

[buickmackane]

So glad y'all are back online and OK!

Meanwhile, there is indeed a tracking map up for TD 26.

"Aleph"? I think they should just call it "Oy!"

[Elle Bee]

it can't we as much fun as Wilima

enough please

.

[AnAmericanMother]

Thank heavens you are o.k.! Welcome back!

Roof tiles and such can be replaced . . . glad you had a safe room.

Glad also that the storm provided an opportunity for you to get to know your neighbors better, and for the kids to get a taste of what life was like before TV etc. . . .

[flattorney]

Map of Estimated FPL Power Restoration Dates
Click thumbnails to enlarge



Miami-Dade/Broward/Palm Beach Counties: Just in time for Thanksgiving


Excellent HQ Pic of Cozumul in the eye of Hurricane Wilma. Estimates: 5 years to rebuild island.

[flattorney]

Note: The present $9-10 billion Wilma damage estimate being used by the media does not include flood or boat damage. This makes more sense why the number is so low for the level of reported/viewed damage.
#####

Boats Hit Hard By Wilma storm
Hundreds of boats in Miami-Dade and Broward counties waterways were sunk and beached by Hurricane Wilma.

Hurricane Wilma sank, crunched and beached hundreds of boats in Miami-Dade and Broward waterways, according to initial on-water surveys Thursday by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and marine industry professionals. ''Some of them are saying it's on a par with Hurricane Andrew,'' FWC spokesman Jorge Pino said. ``It's been devastating.'' Sunken boats and remnants of boats block some canals and marinas in Miami-Dade, and pose hazards to navigation in Biscayne Bay. The Broward portion of the Intracoastal Waterway is clear, according to FWC officer Robert Kuester, but three navigational day markers are missing and residential canals along the ICW are dotted with sunken craft.

"Wilma's probably one of the worst hurricanes that we've ever experienced with the boats," Capt. Casey Hunt of Pompano Beach said on Monday. "There were ropes snapping and pilings ripping out of the dock like toothpicks. People would try to tie their boats during the storm with whatever rope they could find. Some tied their boats to trees, and then the trees came out of the ground. It's just been a nightmare."

~~~~~~~

The 46th Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show will go on -- one week later, because of Hurricane Wilma. The boat show will now open on Thursday, Nov. 3. The show will run through Sunday, Nov. 6. "After extensive meetings with city and county officials, we have resumed set up for a complete in-water and on-land display," said Kaye Pearson, president of Yachting Promotions, Inc., producers of the show. "We understand how important this annual event is for marine industry businesses large and small, not just here in South Florida but also nationally and internationally, and we felt it was vital to do everything in our power to make it happen." Pearson said that the city is making excellent progress in its recovery from the hurricane and should be ready to welcome visitors to the show next week.
The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show will feature hundreds of millions of dollars worth of boats, yachts, super-yachts, electronics, engines and marine accessories.

[buickmackane]

Oh [insert expletive of your choice], it's official -- the tracking map at Weather Underground now reads "Tropical Storm Beta" -- looks like it will stay in Central America, though.

[flattorney]

I'm in Japan.....How bad was Boca Raton hit ? I've been waiting to hear from somebody who lives there for days now . No response to my emails , and all I got was an answering service when I called.

Reports reflect that there is a lot of damage in Boca Raton. Had a 102 and a 110 reported Wilma winds in Boca. I have friends and business acquitances in Boca, but have talked to none of them.

Many people, including myself (live Key Biscayne, office Miami) are going to fly back into the area this weekend to assess their property and business damage.

[steveegg]

Whoa. Nice pic.

[Sam Cree]

I have close friends in Boca - there was considerable damage to some buildings there and not much to others. For instance, their house was completely undamaged except for some roof tiles, while the house across the street had a wall blown in, although I am not sure whether it was a gable wall or the whole thing. The roof blew off his office building. 2 other families that we know in Boca had no series damage. By and large, I think that while it was bad, as all hurricanes are, it was not terrifically bad. I'm kind of guessing, though, RE Boca.

[JoeSixPack1]

Checking in. Got Power and Cable about 15 mins ago.

Lost a tree. Had to hold my glass sliding doors that face west (which I didn't board up) for almost an hour and a 1/2 Monday at about 10'ish AM fighting 110MPH continuous wind. The glass was bowing and the Fla room was an ocean. Neighbors across the street had front doors and garage doors blown open and away. 3 to 4 feet of standing water on the street until we cleaned the lost shingles and debris off the street drains. Took about 18 hours to drain.

My house didn't lose a shingle. Water ran down from the roof ridge vents because of the sideways rain and ceiling has moisture spots.

Yanked the front yard 8 year old Oak Tree out of the ground with my 4x4 truck and a hand saw as it was across the walkway.

No gas for 2 counties north, 4 counties south. Well, they had gas but no way to pump it.

All in all it was way worse then expected, but with power and cable, I'm fat and happy and looking forward to a hot shower as soon as the water heater does its thing.

:-)

[Sam Cree]

""Wilma's probably one of the worst hurricanes that we've ever experienced with the boats," Capt. Casey Hunt of Pompano Beach said on Monday."

I would parenthetically point out that Pompano Beach has not had a serious hurricane in many years.

[NautiNurse]

Great to hear you have electricity again, and your roof is intact. Thanks for checking in...and enjoy your hot shower.
:o)

[Frank_2001]

I got my electricity back about 4 hrs. ago... looking forward to a hot shower too!:)

[NautiNurse]

I got my electricity back about 4 hrs. ago... looking forward to a hot shower too!:)

Hooray! Glad to hear you are safe. Looking forward to additional report when you get a chance. The MSM have been reporting all things negative just short of dogs eating baby corpses.

[don-o]

All in all it was way worse then expected

I guess I would need to live there. But on what do you base expectations?

Here in the southern Applachians, our worst weather is a big snow that knocks power out for half a day in town.

1989 was a biggie that took a week for the hinterlands.

[sushiman]

Do you happen to know if the power is still out down there ? Can't connect with my friend via email or phone .

Thanks ...