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

[hipaatwo]

I'm glad your safe. I just got through to my aunt and uncle in Delray Beach. They said things there are very bad also but they got only minor damage to their place. Outside trees are down all over and some of their neighbors can't get their cars out of their driveways.

[RDTF]

I also read something earlier about a little girl in critical condition somewhere in FLA - after being hit in the head by a storm shutter they were helping a neighbor put on yesterday.

[fatima]

She is aiding the perfect storm conditions up here in the Northeast.We are expecting 50 mile hour winds down the shore and up to 40 here in Bucks county PA.

[Strategerist]

Most globals have something forming near Nicaragua/Panama next week; doesn't really go anywhere, just sits there, at least through 144-168 hours.

[Karson]

Any news from Coconut Creek in Broward County? I haven't been able to contact my brother. TIA

[samantha]

It may be hard to get info from Okeechobee because of the widespread storm damage and because it is a small community that does not get much attention. The Community is not the kind of People to complain, they are Big Sugar Cane workers, Ranchers and Fisherman.

[vigilante2]

His house was swaying?

yes..and he said the water was sloshing around in the toilet..He must have a two story wooden structure..I hope it withstood the wind
 

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1507390/posts?page=1409#1409

[jeffers]

I'm hoping that the 4 foot surge report from Everglades City is a good sign. Strategically, Everglades City and Wilma correspond with Slidell and Katrina, which saw roughly half the maximum surge heigth. If the comparison holds, then maximum surge levels probably won't see the 9 to 17 feet forecast. That's not an unreasonable assumption, since Katrina was a Cat-3 storm packing Cat -5 surge. Hopefully Wilma was a Cat 3 storm packing Cat -1 surge, but assumptions are all we have until hard facts start coming in, probably after mid-morning tomorrow.

The news out of Clewiston, SW of Lake Okeechobee is sobering, they would have seen most of the Lake surge. No word from Belle Glade, south of the Lake, the websites from there haven't been updated since before the storm.

Same deal for Key Largo.

[NautiNurse]

Here is a partial list of FReepers who haven't yet checked in post Wilma:

laz, Sam Cree, debg, JoeSixPack1, elle bee, jsh3180, Luis Gonzales, NonValueAdded, inflorida, RedbloodedAmerican, fiesti.

[patriciaruth]

Just got in touch with my Aunt in Hialeah via cell phone of her taxi driver.

She is okay and uninjured. Half her roof is gone, but not the ceiling yet.

If anyone knows how to get blue tarp for temporary protection, please let me know.

Her taxi driver will try to get her a prepaid disposable cell phone tomorrow if any place still has any, and will check with FEMA about tarp, but I would appreciate anyone who knows anyone who could help out here or is willing to hire out to staple the tarp on the roof if we find any.

[RDTF]

home depot or Lowes or any hardware or building supplies. Look online!

[patriciaruth]

jeffers posted just after the hurricane, I thought.

See my post above about my aunt's roof half gone.

[onyx]

Thanks for the link.
He engineered his house to withstand 175 mph winds.
I bet it did.

I think he's just without power.

[NonValueAdded]

No, I'm here ... didn't see a check-in thread. Thanks for checking, though. I'm really concerned about Luis. A last post thinking the roof was going is pretty ominous.

[patriciaruth]

Check. I can suggest those to the taxi driver. Thanks.

Mostly I'm trying to find someone who can actually put it on the top of the house once and if we get ahold of some tarp.

[exhaustedmomma]

"storm straps" (whatever they are)

They attach to the roofs in strategic places to help keep the roof from lifting. Most mobile homes in certain wind zones are required to have them to be insured.

This tells about them: scroll down to roof straps and harnesses

Against the Wind: Protect your Home against strong winds
Hurricane strapsThere are many types of roof design. Regardless ofyour type of roof, hurricane straps are designed tohelp hold your roof to the walls. While you are inthe attic, inspect for hurricane straps of galvanizedmetal (see Figure 4). Hurricane straps may be diffi-cult for homeowners to install. You may need tocall a professional to retrofit your home with hurri-cane straps. Check with your local governmentbuilding officials to see if hurricane straps arerequired in your area

[RDTF]

here:

http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN_US/diy_main/pg_diy.jsp?CNTTYPE=PROD_META&CNTKEY=misc%2fsearchResults.jsp&BV_SessionID=@@@@1179579373.1130196114@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccdeaddgdehgkfdcgelceffdfgidgjl.0&MID=9876

[NonValueAdded]

Re the Blue Tarp ... there should be Army Corps of Engineers setting up stations to take the application and get the critical permission form signed. Ours was set up inside the local Winn Dixie grocery store. They didn't have a web presence last year and it was very hard to check status through their phone setup but eventually they did come. they will likely be co-located with the FEMA folks. I;m not sure you can do it as a proxy for your Aunt, though.

[NautiNurse]

will check with FEMA about tarp

Home Depot, Lowes and sometimes Sams Club sell tarps. They aren't expensive.

[patriciaruth]

Number for the Red Cross is 866-438-4636.

The Red Cross phone lines in the affected areas of Southeastern Florida are down, but if you call this main number, they may be able to help.

Check back and let us know if you get any more useful information please.

Good luck.