Hurricane Wilma Live Thread, Part IV

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

Thanks for the ping! Good morning! Trying to catch up now. Hope everyone made it safely through the night.

Morning everybody...I looked at the visible IR loop and she looks nasty.

Nothing too much happening her, rain, wind. If my "stupid" dog had got it through her head at 11 PM that this thing was going to last all night, I would have slept better.

Every couple hours she'd wake me up to let her out, I'd open the door, and she'd think, "Oh yeah, rain and wind, I'm not going out in that."

She's a wimp, but she'll go out if somebody walks outside with her, so I guess hubby did that this morning.

My message at 111 was for all you folks who may be thrown back into the Stone Age for a few days or more if your electricity goes down. But I haven't been here on the thread long enough to know who all is involved in this. Good luck to ALL of you!

Glad to see your electricity held up. I want to see some daylight...power has been trying to give up here for a couple of hours.

OK. I'm guessing the band crossing now is about the worst I'll see from this one. By the howling through the old windows and the gentle shuddering of my little house, I'd guess the highest gusts to be maybe 50, coming every couple of minutes with sheets of rain. Not too different from a bad afternoon thunderstorm.

Breaking local update. The storm woke the wife.

Thanks Nita. Much appreciated.

Asking for prayers for my 87 year old aunt in Hialeah, Florida near Miami International Airport in an old termite ridden house with 3 cats she wouldn't leave.

Where are your parents piperpilot?

Oh my--will keep your aunt in my prayers.

Don't know if this has been posted already. Just lost power for the sixth, seventh, and eighth times.

Hurricane Local Statement

AMZ610-630-650-651-670-671-FLZ063-066>075-GMZ656-657-676-241300-

HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
622 AM EDT MON OCT 24 2005

...WILMA MAKING LANDFALL ON THE SOUTH COLLIER AND MAINLAND MONROE COUNTY
COASTLINE...

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT APPLIES TO THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN SOUTH FLORIDA
AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS INCLUDING LAKE OKEECHOBEE: COLLIER...GLADES...
HENDRY...PALM BEACH...BROWARD...MIAMI-DADE AND MAINLAND MONROE.

...NEW INFORMATION...
UPDATED STORM INFORMATION
UPDATED PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS
UPDATED STORM SURGE IMPACTS

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...

A HURRICANE WARNING/INLAND HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF
MAINLAND SOUTH FLORIDA AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS AND LAKE OKEECHOBEE.

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTH FLORIDA.

A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF MAINLAND SOUTH FLORIDA.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 5 AM EDT...HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 25.5 NORTH AND
LONGITUDE 82.4 WEST. FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR AT MIAMI...
THIS IS ABOUT 40 MILES SOUTH OF NAPLES OR 135 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WEST PALM
BEACH OR 100 MILES WEST OF MIAMI. WILMA IS MOVING NORTHEAST NEAR 20 MPH. THIS
MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED THROUGH MONDAY.
ON THIS TRACK THE CENTER OF THE STORM IS EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL WITHIN THE
NEXT HOUR OR TWO NEAR EVERGLADES CITY AND CROSS THE SOUTH FLORIDA PENINSULA
TODAY...MOVING INTO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN NEAR PALM BEACH COUNTY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 125 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WILMA
IS A STRONG CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. LITTLE CHANGE
IN STRENGTH IS EXPECTED UNTIL LANDFALL OCCURS...AND SOME SLOW WEAKENING IS
FORECAST AS WILMA CROSSES THE SOUTHERN FLORIDA PENINSULA.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
THE LARGE EYE OF WILMA IS COMING ONSHORE SOUTH COLLIER AND MAINLAND MONROE
COUNTIES. THIS WILL PROVIDE A SHORT WINDOW OF ABOUT 30 MINUTES OR SO FOR ANY
EMERGENCY REPAIRS BEFORE THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE EYEWALL COMES BACK ONSHORE TO
RENEW HURRICANE CONDITIONS FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.

SPIRAL BANDS WILL CAUSE HURRICANE FORCE WIND GUSTS WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF
HOURS IN METRO MIAMI-DADE, BROWARD AND SOUTH PALM BEACH COUNTIES.

SUSTAINED HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL RAISE PROJECTILES WHICH WILL BECOME
POTENTIAL DEADLY MISSILES AND PERSONS MUST NOT VENTURE OUTSIDE. PUT AS MANY
WALLS AS POSSIBLE BETWEEN PEOPLE AND THE OUTSIDE...SUCH AS AN INTERIOR CLOSET OR
BATHROOM. STAY AWAY FROM UNSHUTTERED WINDOWS OR WEAK GARAGE DOORS.

...STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS...
HURRICANE WILMA IS NOW MAKING LANDFALL NEAR EVERGLADES CITY AND CHOKOLOSKEE. A
STORM TIDE OF UP TO 13 TO 18 FEET IS NOW OCCURRING ALONG THE SOUTH COLLIER GULF
COAST...PRIMARILY SOUTH OF CAPE ROMANO TO CAPE SABLE INCLUDING EVERGLADES CITY
AND CHOKOLOSKEE. THIS IS CAUSING EXTENSIVE FLOODING OF LOCAL ACCESS ROADS TO
MARCO ISLAND...EVERGLADES CITY AND CHOKOLOSKEE INCLUDING STATE ROADS 92...951...
953 AND 29 AND LARGE PARTS OF THE TAMIAMI TRAIL U.S. HIGHWAY 41. EVERGLADES CITY
IS LIKELY FLOODED OR WILL BE SHORTLY...AND PARTS OF CHOKOLOSKEE AND MARCO ISLAND
ARE ALSO LIKELY FLOODED. FURTHER NORTH ALONG THE COLLIER COUNTY COAST...A STORM
TIDE OF 7 TO 9 FEET IS ALSO OCCURRING FROM NORTH OF MARCO ISLAND TO SOUTH
NAPLES. SINCE THE WIND FLOW IS OFFSHORE AT NAPLES...MUCH LOWER STORM TIDES ARE
OCCURRING FROM NAPLES NORTH TO BONITA BEACH.

A STORM TIDE OF 8 TO 13 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL IS NOW OCCURRING ON CAPE
SABLE AND IN FLAMINGO. MUCH OF FLAMINGO IS NOW LIKELY FLOODED.

ALONG THE ATLANTIC COAST OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY...PARTICULARLY BISCAYNE BAY...
TIDES ARE RUNNING 2 TO 3 FEET ABOVE NORMAL. A STORM TIDE OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE
MEAN SEA LEVEL CAN BE EXPECTED AROUND 8 TO 9 AM EDT...WITH SLIGHTLY HIGHER
AMOUNTS POSSIBLE IN CANALS AND WATERWAYS. SOUTH WINDS WILL PILE SOME WATER INTO
THE NORTH END OF BISCAYNE BAY CAUSING SOME FLOODING OF CAUSEWAYS AND LOW LYING
BEACH ACCESS ROADS FOR A SHORT TIME FROM EARLY TO MID MORNING MONDAY. SOME
FLOODING FROM SURGE WILL OCCUR IN LOW LYING AREAS OF MATHESON HAMMOCK AND
FAIRCHILD TROPICAL GARDENS AND PARTS OF CORAL GABLES AND COCONUT GROVE AND ALONG
THE MOUTH OF THE MIAMI RIVER. LOW LYING AREAS ON THE BAY SIDES OF KEY BISCAYNE
AND VIRGINIA KEY CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED. OVER THE BROWARD AND PALM BEACH COUNTY
COASTS...STORM TIDES OF 2 TO 3 FEET CAN BE EXPECTED MID MORNING.

FOR LAKE OKEECHOBEE...A STORM SURGE OF 5 TO 7 FEET ABOVE CURRENT LAKE LEVELS IS
EXPECTED FROM EARLY MORNING TO AROUND NOON MONDAY OVER AREAS INSIDE THE DIKE
FROM LAKEPORT TO CLEWISTON...WITH 2 TO 5 FEET ABOVE CURRENT LAKE LEVELS
ELSEWHERE FROM BUCKHEAD RIDGE SOUTH TO LAKEPORT...AND FROM CLEWISTON THROUGH
PORT MAYACA. THIS WILL CAUSE SOME FLOODING OF LOW AREAS OUTSIDE HOOVER DIKE
PROTECTION INCLUDING TORRY...KREAMER AND RITTA ISLANDS AND SOME ACCESS ROADS.
THE LAKE LEVEL ON SUNDAY WAS 15.6 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL.

...WIND IMPACTS...
AT EVERGLADES CITY...A WIND GUST TO 90 MPH WAS REPORTED FROM THE FLORIDA COASTAL
MONITORING STATION AT 550 AM EDT. AT NAPLES AIRPORT A WIND GUST TO 75 MPH WAS
REPORTED FROM THE AUTOMATED SURFACE OBSERVING SYSTEM AT 551 AM EDT. AT OPA
LOCKA AIRPORT IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY...SUSTAINED WINDS OF 58 MPH WITH A WIND GUST
TO 74 MPH WAS REPORTED FROM THE AUTOMATED SURFACE OBSERVING SYSTEM AT 615 AM
EDT.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE OCCURRING ACROSS NEARLY ALL OF MAINLAND SOUTH
FLORIDA NOW. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE MOVING INLAND ACROSS MAINLAND SOUTH
FLORIDA...AND WILL BE SPREADING NORTHEAST ACROSS BIG CYPRESS REFUGE...
FAKAHATCHEE REFUGE AND EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK MOVING NORTHEAST TOWARD THE BIG
CYPRESS AND MICCOSUKEE INDIAN COMMUNITIES.

WILMA HAS A VERY LARGE EYE...ABOUT 65 TO 70 MILES IN DIAMETER. AS THE EYE MOVES
ACROSS THE COASTLINE AND INLAND...THE WINDS WILL DECREASE ALLOWING AN
OPPORTUNITY OF ABOUT 30 MINUTES FOR EMERGENCY REPAIRS. REMEMBER THOUGH THAT THE
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL RETURN WILL SIMILAR VIOLENCE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF
THE EYE WALL AND FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN SUBSIDING OVER SOUTHWEST FLORIDA BY
THE MID TO LATE MORNING HOURS AND ACROSS THE LAKE OKEECHOBEE AND METRO ATLANTIC
COAST AREAS BY EARLY AFTERNOON. TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS WILL BE SUBSIDING
ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS FINALLY ENDING ACROSS PALM BEACH
COUNTY BY ABOUT 6 PM EDT.

PERSONS MUST NOT DRIVE OR WALK AROUND IN TROPICAL STORM OR HURRICANE FORCE
WINDS. SEVERAL SOUTH FLORIDA DEATHS OCCURRED IN KATRINA WHEN PEOPLE DECIDED TO
WALK AROUND TO WATCH TREES FALL IN STRONG WINDS.

POWER OUTAGES ARE LIKELY. WHEN USING GENERATORS...REMEMBER TO ALLOW FOR
ADEQUATE VENTILATION. DO NOT RUN GENERATORS IN ENCLOSED AREAS BECAUSE CARBON
MONOXIDE POISONING CAN EASILY KILL PEOPLE WITH NO WARNING. EVERY HURRICANE
SITUATION IN THE LAST FEW YEARS HAS RESULTED IN CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING
DEATHS.

...PROBABILITY OF HURRICANE/TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS...
THERE IS A 100 PERCENT CHANCE THAT TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL BE
EXPERIENCED ACROSS ALL OF MAINLAND SOUTH FLORIDA TODAY. THERE IS A 60 TO 100
PERCENT CHANCE THAT HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL BE EXPERIENCED ACROSS SOUTH
FLORIDA TODAY.

...LOCAL MARINE IMPACTS...
EXTREME HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE NOW OCCURRING OVER THE GULF COASTAL WATERS OF
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. SLOWLY IMPROVING CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR BY LATE AFTERNOON
AND CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THROUGH TONIGHT.

ACROSS LAKE OKEECHOBEE...TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE NOW OCCURRING. HURRICANE
CONDITIONS WILL BEGIN BY 8 AM EDT AND SHOULD START SUBSIDING BY EARLY
AFTERNOON WITH TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS SUBSIDING BY LATE AFTERNOON.

ALONG THE ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS OF SOUTHEAST FLORIDA...TROPICAL STORM
CONDITIONS WILL BEGIN SPREADING FROM SOUTH TO NORTH THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS...
WITH HURRICANE FORCE WINDS BEGINNING SHORTLY AFTER 8 AM EDT. HURRICANE
FORCE WINDS WILL SUBSIDE OVER THE SOUTHERN WATERS AROUND NOON MORNING AND
OVER THE PALM BEACH WATERS BY MID AFTERNOON...WITH TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS
SUBSIDING OVER ALL ATLANTIC WATERS BY EARLY EVENING. ALL MARINE CRAFT MUST
REMAIN IN SAFE PORT.

...LOCAL FLOOD IMPACTS...
STORM TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 6 INCHES ARE EXPECTED MAINLY NORTH OF A
LINE FROM NAPLES TO WEST PALM BEACH...WITH AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES POSSIBLE
ACROSS SOUTHERNMOST AREAS. RAIN BANDS MOVING OVER THE AREA WILL PRODUCE LOCALLY
HEAVIER AMOUNTS BEGINNING EARLY MONDAY MORNING AND LASTING THROUGH MONDAY
AFTERNOON. A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF MAINLAND SOUTH FLORIDA.

...LOCAL TORNADO IMPACTS...
A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTH FLORIDA. WILMA HAS ALREADY
PRODUCED SEVERAL SPIRAL BANDS WITH TORNADIC SIGNATURES ON RADAR...AND THIS
WILL CONTINUE TODAY. TROPICAL CYCLONE INDUCED TORNADOES ARE QUICK FORMING AND
QUICK MOVING...AND USUALLY ONLY LAST A FEW MINUTES. DAMAGING TORNADOES ARE
ALSO LIKELY AS THE EYE WALL COMES ONSHORE.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT UPDATE WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 9 AM.

$$

PFOST

My son is near West Palm. They put up their shutters but they didn't think it would be too bad. That worried me. They said several neighbors didn't even bother to put all their storm shutters on!! These young kids are either lazy or just plain stupid! I wish they would have just come north and gotten the heck out of there.

I'll pray patriciaruth.

Oh, you still have power! Do you have a generator?

No, no generator. As jeffers said, FPL must be rerouting my power.

A new record's been posted. Wilma is the raggedest, ugliest, least symmetrical POS looking Cat-3 hurricane ever to strike the US coast:

http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/data/east/latest_eastwv.jpg

Also, Marco Island's in the eye and the eyewall is north of Naples, up near Bonita Springs.

We really need to stop doing these all-nighters ;-)

Seriously, my prayers are with everybody that was, is, or will be in Wilma's path. I'm wiped out. Catch you on the flip side, and hopefully not for a tropical storm until we get back to the real names next year.

Thank you for your prayers for Aunt Emily.

I thought this was going to be a CAT 1 at most when it got to her.

Conditions in Punta Gorda, FL at 6:34 am are fair to partly hurricany,

Trying out to be a weatherman? Glad to see that even in the face of a storm, there can be some humor.

Stay safe and all the best to those suffering the storm right now.

Prayers going out for your aunt and all people in the path of the storm.

Here in Jacksonville, we are getting the rain bands. The pupster woke me up, just with the rain.

Thanks for your help and support. Nighters.

I looked at the visible IR loop and she looks nasty

She IS nasty. I'll never be able to look at a Flinstones cartoon the same way again.