Thank you for the local updates. I hope you aren't too close to the windows...
I am hunkered next to a sliding glass door watching the action but since I am facing North and the winds are coming from the SE, I'm not getting the wind. When that changes > I'll move!
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
Thank GOD, Matthew just called. He was fading in and out on his cell. It is flooding in Key West. He's safe.