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October 23, 2005
Look.. up in the sky!
Okay, its official. SoFla is now under a hurricane warning. According to the local news:
At 4 a.m. CDT Sunday, the center of Hurricane Wilma was located near latitude 22.1 north, longitude 86.6 west or about 40 miles north of Cancun, Mexico, and about 350 miles west-southwest of Key West, Fla.
Wilma is moving toward the northeast near 3 mph, and an increase in forward speed is expected during the next 24 hours.
Maximum sustained winds are near 100 mph, with higher gusts, making Wilma a Category 2 hurricane. It is expected to reach Florida on Monday.
Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 70 miles from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 200 miles.
Near as I can tell, she hasn't turned east yet. No telling where she'll land although most experts agree it will be somewhere near Lake Okeechobee. While that might sound good for SoFla, its really not since, if Wilma does in fact land north of SoFla, that means we get the strong side of the storm. Such is the way of the hurricane when it comes it from the Gulf.
Around here right now, its just another day. The sky around here is a uniform grey, and its still outside, very still. I haven't seen much rain, sprinkles mostly, but just a few miles north in Lauderdale, they have hip-deep flooding already.
I'll keep posting as long as I'm able, since Katrina didn't knock out the power, I'm hopeful that Wilma won't either.
Boudicca's Voice has a great post that sums up us Florida Bloggers, and a most excellent graphic of who is where, even if I'm not on it (yet?).
Other SoFla Hurricane bloggers are:
The Florida Masochist
The Florida Cracker
South Florida updates can be found here, here, and here, if you're interested.
9:30 am UPDATE: For those of you who need it, the White Trash Hurricane Survival Kit...
9:54 am UPDATE: The sun is shining here in SoFla. Go figure. I'm joining the trackback parties today at Cao's Blog, Jo's Cafe, The Indepundit, Wizbang, Mudville Gazette, My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy, Outside the Beltway and The Political Teen. Nothing like a bit of Hurricane Blogging and shameless self-promotion, eh? After all, they asked for it.
10:14 am UPDATE: As expected, the worm, er, Wilma has turned and is now headed straight for SoFla.
A click on the pic will enlarge it, and it should update as we go along. I think I'll take a nap.
2:16 pm UPDATE: By 2 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Wilma had maximum sustained wind near 100 mph. It was centered about 240 miles west-southwest of Key West and was moving toward the northeast at about 12 mph.
Hurricane-force wind of at least 74 mph extended up to 70 miles out from the center, and wind blowing at tropical storm-force reached outward up to 200 miles.
Hurricane center Director Max Mayfield predicted Wilma would dramatically pick up speed later Sunday and its top wind speed would increase. "It's really going to take off like a rocket," he said. "It's going to start moving like 20 mph."
Is it my imagination, or is the wind picking up a bit? I think its my imagination since the forecast claims SoFla will start feeling the winds around midnight tonight.
I figured I didn't need no steenkin' plywood, nope, not me, but something spooked my neighbors and they are boarding up right now. I kinda feel left out.
Today's "Did you know" ... the Ibis is the mascot for the University of Miami Hurricanes because it is the last bird to leave when a hurricane is on its way.
4:00 pm UPDATE: Wilma is speeding up and could be here sooner than expected and stronger than expected. Circulation is expanding and the first squall is expected in the Keys within the hour. Category 3 conditions are possible in the SW Keys. Landfall anticipated to be between Ft Myers and Naples some time around daybreak. SoEFla expected to get Category 1-2 winds.
They say we will start feeling the storm around midnight, but I'm waiting for the 5:00 report. That might have changed by now.
4:30 pm UPDATE: From NBC6: Tropical storm-force wind was expected to begin lashing the state late Sunday and meteorologists said the heart of the storm was expected to roar across the state Monday. Tornados were possible over parts of the state through Monday and powerful storm surge flooding was expected on the southwest coast.
5:30 pm UPDATE: Looking at the Schooner Wharf Webcam and at the moment, it appears that reports of severe weather due to feeder bands has been overstated.
South Florida Webcams, some are live and streaming, some have a five minute delay. While they last...
Key West:
The Schooner Wharf Webcam, Old Town, Key West
Hog's Breath Saloon, Old Town, Key West (shuttered and closed, but the cam is up)
Key West Harbor and Sunset Cam, Southernmost Tip, Key West
South East Florida:
Fort Lauderdale Beach (gotta click the cam link)
Ocean Palms, Hollywood Beach
Lake Work Inlet, West Palm Beach
Miami Herald Building, Downtown Miami, Western View
Miami Herald Building, Downtown Miami, Eastern View towards Miami Beach
Lincoln Road Mall, Miami Beach, South Beach
and...
Right up the road from Linda Land, this is looking at the Atlantic Ocean on 163rd Street and A1A, North Miami Beach.
The Boca Raton Inlet
Bostons on Delray Beach
Jupiter Inlet
Boca Raton South Beach Park
South West Coast:
Marco Island River Cam, Naples, Florida
Brooks Beach Club, Bonita Beach, Florida
7:40 pm UPDATE:
At 5 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Wilma was centered about 210 miles west-southwest of Key West and moving northeast at about 14 mph. Hurricane-force wind of at least 74 mph extended up to 85 miles from the center and wind blowing at tropical storm-force reached outward up to 230 miles, the hurricane center said.
As it neared Florida, Wilma's forward progress was expected to intensify. Tornado are all over Central Florida.
Forecasters said Wilma would approach Category 3 strength before making landfall.
Tropical storm-force winds of at least 39 mph ar expected late tonight, and the core of the hurricane is forecast to cut across Florida Monday at about up to 25 mph. "We anticipate heavy power outages and flooding," Gov. Bush said.
Waterspout spotted in Key West...
Rain and wind is getting serious down there and there is now a curfew to keep people off the street.
Nothing much to report here. The wind is picking up a bit here and there and then it goes quiet again. I just moved my truck next to the house and away from all the crap that my neighbor has piled up across the street, what a jackass. For me, its time for dinner, a nice warm bath, a glass of wine and a good book.
8:00 pm UPDATE:
...Wilma getting better organized and strengthening as it gradually accelerates northeastward toward Florida...
Wilma is moving toward the northeast near 15 mph...24 km/hr. A continued northeastward motion... with a gradual increase in forward speed... is expected tonight and Monday. On this track...the center of Wilma is forecast to be near the southwestern coast of the Florida Peninsula early Monday morning. However...Wilma is a large system and tropical storm force winds will reach the Florida Keys and Florida Peninsula well before the eye makes landfall.
This link is the southern tip of Florida Radar, but you best have broadband.
8:30 pm UPDATE:
... Hurricane Wilma gradually accelerating toward extreme southwest Florida and continuing on track for a morning landfall...
... New information...
the tornado threat continues with reports of exploding transformers and flying debris in Mulberry. A Tornado Watch continues in effect for all of west central Florida from Citrus County southward until 1 am. The greatest threat during the next several hours will be from Tampa Bay northward with a second band of thunderstorms affecting Lee and Charlotte counties. Any tornadoes will be fast moving.
9:00 pm UPDATE:
Wilma is now only one mph short of being a category 3. The eye of the storm is very well formed. Reports in from Sugarloaf Key, 17 miles north of Key West, say conditions are deteriorating rapidly Its quietly windy here in North Miami Beach, no rain, no thunder, no lightening.
10:00 pm UPDATE:
... The center of the large eye of Hurricane Wilma was estimated by the NOAA Doppler Radar In Key West Florida near latitude 24.3 North...Longitude 83.8 West or about 130 mileS... 210 KM... West of Key West Florida and about 10 MILES... Southwest of Naples Florida.
Recent data from an Air Force Reserve Unit Reconnaissance Aircraft and from the NOAA Doppler Radar in Key West Florida indicate Wilma is very near Category Three...or major... Hurricane strength. If thunderstorms in the eyewell continue to persist and remain well organized... then Wilma will likely be upgraded to a category three
hurricane on the 11 pm advisory.
Sustained tropical storm-force winds are occurring over the lower Florida Keys... and are now within 40 miles of the Southwestern Florida Coast.
Tornado warning for Key West; probably a waterspout ready to come onshore. Serious rain down there.
Jeepers. Still quiet here.
11:00 UPDATE:
...Wilma strengthens into a major category 3 hurricane... ...Tropical storm-force winds lashing the lower Florida Keys and western Cuba...
Dire warnings in Broward County.
Getting nervous here. I am in Dade, but really just over the Broward County line.
Posted by LindaSoG at October 23, 2005 07:41 AM
Comments
I was stunned when I saw Broward County was already getting flooding. We had not a drop of rain yesterday here in N. PB County. Not one. Nada.
If they got flooding off of the persistent rain from the last few days, those folks are in for a whole heapin' lot 'o trouble.
I'm adding you to the map this morning!!!
Posted by: Boudicca at October 23, 2005 08:43 AM
You're there! I just updated.
Same here in N. PB County. No rain. Not even really gray... just a light gray. My youngest asked me if I'd take him swimming today if that's any indication as to what our weather looks like.
Lake O... it scares me everytime I hear a 'cane is coming close to it. We get a good Cat 5 over it one day and one of those levees will be breached. They figure I'd take in water from Lake O in about 3 days.
Posted by: Boudicca at October 23, 2005 08:46 AM
Rain and strong wind here but lights still work and just saw on tv most lights are out in Naples which is pretty far south of where I live.
A neighbor across the street has a huge Halloween pumpkin in their front yard. One of those inflatable kind with lights inside so it looks like a very bright orange.They did not take it down for the hurricane's arrival and it is still standing tall. Which of course makes me feel like an idiot because we took all our patio furniture and potted plants and put them in the garage. LOL How funny is that. OH well better safe then sorry is my motto. hahahaha Thank God it is not bad at least not so far and it is 6:30a.m.Monday
Posted by: Wild Thing at October 24, 2005 06:40 AM