Three years ago today...

[MiamiensisWx]

On October 24, 2005, the effects of the 2004 season's barrage and Katrina 2005 (in south Florida) culminated in the biggest hit to my area in SE Florida...

http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/2005/WILMA/track.gif

Today is the third anniversary of Wilma's Florida landfall. No one will forget it here in central and southern Florida.

[jinftl]

The saga of Wilma told from NHC Advisory & Discussion excerpts....

TROPICAL STORM WILMA ADVISORY
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
5 AM EDT MON OCT 17 2005

...TROPICAL STORM WILMA BECOMES THE 21ST NAMED STORM OF THE 2005
ATLANTIC SEASON OVER THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA...
...TIES THE RECORD FOR NAMED STORMS SET BACK IN 1933...

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR
THE CAYMAN ISLANDS.

AT 5 AM EDT...0900Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM WILMA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 17.2 NORTH... LONGITUDE 79.7 WEST OR ABOUT 175 MILES
... 280 KM... SOUTHEAST OF GRAND CAYMAN..

SATELLITE DATA INDICATE THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE ESTIMATED
TO BE NEAR 40 MPH... 65 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.

__________________________________________________________

TROPICAL STORM WILMA DISCUSSION
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
5 AM EDT TUE OCT 18 2005

THERE ARE SEVERAL INDICATORS SUGGESTING THAT WILMA IS STRENGTHENING.
THE PRESSURE HAS FALLEN TO 982 MB. THE CLOUD PATTERN CONSISTS OF
VERY DEEP CONVECTION NEAR THE CENTER WITH BANDING FEATURES...AND
THE OUTFLOW HAS CONTINUED TO BECOME MORE SYMMETRICAL. T-NUMBERS
FROM TAFB AND SAB ARE 4.0 ON THE DVORAK SCALE...SUGGESTING THAT
WILMA IS A HURRICANE.

WILMA IS EXPECTED TO BECOME AN INTENSE HURRICANE IN THE NORTHWESTERN
CARIBEAN SEA...TYPICAL OF THOSE HURRICANES WHICH COMMONLY OCCURRED
IN OCTOBER DURING THE 30'S 40'S AND 50'S. THIS IS NOTHING NEW.
_________________________________________________________

HURRICANE WILMA SPECIAL DISCUSSION
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
1 AM EDT WED OCT 19 2005

THIS SPECIAL ADVISORY IS TO UPDATE THE INITIAL AND THE FORECAST
INTENSITY OF WILMA. AN AIR FORCE PLANE JUST MEASURED 162 KNOTS AT
850 MB AND A MINIMUM PRESSURE OF 901 MB IN A PINHOLE EYE. WILMA IS
NOW A VERY STRONG CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE AND COULD BECOME A
CATEGORY FIVE TODAY. NO CHANGE IN TRACK IS NECESSARY.

___________________________________________________________

HURRICANE WILMA ADVISORY
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
5 AM EDT WED OCT 19 2005

...AIR FORCE RECONNAISSANCE PLANE REPORTED 884 MB...THE LOWEST
MINIMUM PRESSURE EVER MEASURED IN A HURRICANE IN THE ATLANTIC
BASIN...THIS VALUE SHOULD BE USED WITH CAUTION UNTIL CALIBRATED...

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 175 MPH...280 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. WILMA IS A CATASTROPHIC CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE EXPECTED
DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

___________________________________________________________

HURRICANE WILMA DISCUSSION
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
5 AM EDT WED OCT 19 2005

IN ADDITION TO THE SPECTACULAR CLOUD PATTERN OBSERVED ON SATELLITE
...AN AIR FORCE RECONNAISSANCE PLANE MEASURED 168 KNOTS AT 700 MB
AND ESTIMATED A MINIMUM PRESSURE OF 884 MB EXTRAPOLATED FROM 700MB.
UNOFFICIALLY.

THE METEOROLOGIST ON BOARD THE PLANE RELAYED AN
EXTRAPOLATED 881 MB PRESSURE AND MEASURED 884 MB WITH A DROPSONDE.
THIS IS ALL IN ASSOCIATION WITH A VERY SMALL EYE THAT HAS BEEN
OSCILLATING BETWEEN 2 AND 4 N MI DURING EYE PENETRATIONS.

THIS IS PROBABLY THE LOWEST MINIMUM PRESSURE EVER OBSERVED IN THE ATLANTIC
BASIN AND IS FOLLOWED BY THE 888 MB MINIMUM PRESSURE ASSOCIATED
WITH HURRICANE GILBERT IN 1988.
____________________________________________________________

HURRICANE WILMA ADVISORY
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
4 AM CDT FRI OCT 21 2005

...NORTHERN EYEWALL NEARING COZUMEL...
...WEATHER CONDITIONS SHOULD CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE RAPIDLY OVER
NORTHEASTERN YUCATAN AS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE WILMA
APPROACHES...

____________________________________________________________

HURRICANE WILMA DISCUSSION
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
5 AM EDT SAT OCT 22 2005

THE EYE HAS MOVED INLAND OVER NORTHEASTERN YUCATAN AND IS BECOMING
LESS DISCERNIBLE ON IR IMAGES....BUT IT REMAINS CLEARLY DEFINED ON
CANCUN RADAR. VERY USEFUL DATA HAS BEEN RECEIVED FROM SEVERAL
MEXICAN NAVY AUTOMATIC COASTAL STATIONS AROUND YUCATAN. THE
STATION LOCATED IN ISLA MUJERES LOCATED OFFSHORE NEAR THE
NORTHEATERN TIP OF YUCATAN HAS BEEN MEASURING MAXIMUM WINDS AROUND
90 KNOTS FOR MORE THAN 9 HOURS.
____________________________________________________________

HURRICANE WILMA ADVISORY
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
4 PM CDT SAT OCT 22 2005

...WILMA ABOUT TO EMERGE OFF THE NORTHEASTERN COAST OF YUCATAN...
...NEW WATCHES ISSUED FOR THE FLORIDA PENINSULA...

AT 5 PM EDT...2100Z...A HURRICANE WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED ALONG THE
WEST COAST OF FLORIDA FROM LONGBOAT KEY SOUTHWARD...AND ALONG THE
EAST COAST OF FLORIDA FROM TITUSVILLE SOUTHWARD.

A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE FLORIDA KEYS...
INCLUDING THE DRY TORTUGAS AND FLORIDA BAY.

___________________________________________________________

HURRICANE WILMA ADVISORY
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
10 PM CDT SAT OCT 22 2005

AT 11 PM EDT...0300Z...A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF
THE FLORIDA KEYS...INCLUDING THE DRY TORTUGAS AND FLORIDA BAY. A
HURRICANE WARNING IS ALSO NOW IN EFFECT ALONG THE FLORIDA WEST
COAST FROM LONGBOAT KEY SOUTHWARD...AND ALONG THE FLORIDA EAST
COAST FROM JUPITER INLET SOUTHWARD...INCLUDING LAKE OKEECHOBEE.

___________________________________________________________

HURRICANE WILMA INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
8 PM EDT SUN OCT 23 2005

...WILMA GETTING BETTER ORGANIZED AND STRENGTHENING AS IT
GRADUALLY ACCELERATES NORTHEASTWARD TOWARD FLORIDA...
...TROPICAL STORM-FORCE WINDS IMPACTING WESTERN CUBA AND
APPROACHING THE LOWER FLORIDA KEYS...

DATA FROM AIR FORCE AND NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT THIS EVENING
INDICATE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE NOW INCREASED TO NEAR 110
MPH...175 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WILMA IS A STRONG CATEGORY
TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. ADDITIONAL
STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT AND EARLY MONDAY... AND WILMA
COULD BE NEAR CATEGORY THREE...MAJOR HURRICANE... STRENGTH AS IT
NEARS THE SOUTHWESTERN FLORIDA COAST MONDAY MORNING.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 85 MILES...140 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 230 MILES...370 KM. A WIND GUST TO 85 MPH WAS RECENTLY REPORTED
IN HAVANA CUBA... AND A GUST TO 55 MPH WAS REPORTED AT DRY
TORTUGAS. SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE OCCURRING OVER
THE YUCATAN CHANNEL AND WESTERN CUBA... AND THESE WINDS SHOULD
REACH THE LOWER FLORIDA KEYS BY MIDNIGHT.

__________________________________________________

HURRICANE WILMA ADVISORY
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
11 PM EDT SUN OCT 23 2005

...WILMA STRENGTHENS INTO A MAJOR CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE...
...TROPICAL STORM-FORCE WINDS LASHING THE LOWER FLORIDA KEYS
AND WESTERN CUBA...

WILMA HAS CONTINUED TO BECOME BETTER ORGANIZED THIS EVENING WITH THE
LARGE 45 NMI DIAMETER BECOMING VERY DISTINCT IN BOTH SATELLITE AND
RADAR IMAGERY. AIR FORCE RECON FOUND 700 MB FLIGHT-LEVEL WINDS OF
114 KT IN THE NORTHEAST QUADRANT AT 0104Z... WHICH EQUALS ABOUT 103
KT SURFACE WINDS. DOPPLER VELOCITY DATA FROM KEY WEST HAS ALSO BEEN
AS HIGH AS 109 KT AT 12000 FT. THE CENTRAL PRESSURE HAS DECREASED
TO 959 MB... OR ABOUT 104 KT USING A STANDARD PRESSURE-WIND
RELATIONSHIP. BASED ON THIS WIND INFORMATION AND THE CONTINUED
INCREASE IN THE EYEWALL CONVECTION... THE INITIAL INTENSITY HAS
BEEN CONSERVATIVELY INCREASED TO 100 KT... OR CATEGORY THREE/MAJOR
HURRICANE STATUS.

A RECON VORTEX MESSAGE JUST HANDED TO ME NOW INDICATES THE PRESSURE
HAS DECREASED TO 957 MB.

____________________________________________________________

HURRICANE WILMA ADVISORY
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
5 AM EDT MON OCT 24 2005

...WILMA STRONGER AND APPROACHING THE SOUTHWEST COAST OF FLORIDA...
DATA RECEIVED FROM AN AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER PLANE INDICATE THAT
THE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 125 MPH...WITH
HIGHER GUSTS. WILMA IS A STRONG CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 90 MILES FROM THE
CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230
MILES.

STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 12 TO 18 FT ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS IS
POSSIBLE ALONG THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA COAST NEAR AND TO THE
SOUTH OF WHERE THE CENTER OF WILMA MAKES LANDFALL. STORM SURGE
FLOODING OF 5 TO 9 FT ABOVE NORMAL IS POSSIBLE IN THE FLORIDA KEYS

__________________________________________________________

HURRICANE WILMA INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
7 AM EDT MON OCT 24 2005

...WILMA MOVING INTO SOUTHWESTERN FLORIDA...

AT 7 AM EDT...1100Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED JUST
INLAND NEAR LATITUDE 26.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 81.4 WEST OR ABOUT 10
MILES NORTH OF EVERGLADES CITY FLORIDA.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 120 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WILMA
IS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. .

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 90 MILES FROM THE
CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230
MILES. A WIND GUST TO 95 MPH WAS REPORTED AT EVERGLADES CITY AND A
GUST TO 75 MPH WAS REPORTED AT NAPLES FLORIDA.

__________________________________________________________

HURRICANE WILMA INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
9 AM EDT MON OCT 24 2005

...WILMA CENTERED OVER THE SOUTHERN FLORIDA PENINSULA...

AT 9 AM EDT...1300Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED
INLAND NEAR LATITUDE 26.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 80.7 WEST OR ABOUT 45
MILES SOUTHWEST OF WEST PALM BEACH FLORIDA.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 110 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WILMA
IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. WIND
SPEEDS ABOUT ONE CATEGORY STRONGER COULD BE EXPERIENCED IN HIGH
RISE BUILDINGS. SOME CONTINUED WEAKENING IS LIKELY AS WILMA
CROSSES THE SOUTHERN FLORIDA PENINSULA TODAY.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 90 MILES FROM THE
CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230
MILES. RECENTLY THE FOWEY ROCKS COASTAL-MARINE AUTOMATED NETWORK
STATION...AN ELEVATED PLATFORM JUST OFF THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA
FROM KEY BISCAYNE... REPORTED A PEAK WIND GUST OF 116 MPH. OPA
LOCKA AIRPORT (MIAMI-DADE COUNTY) REPORTED SUSTAINED WINDS OF 85 MPH
WITH A GUST TO 105 MPH.

_________________________________________________________

HURRICANE WILMA ADVISORY
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
11 AM EDT MON OCT 24 2005

...LARGE EYE OF WILMA OVER PALM BEACH AND MARTIN COUNTIES IN
SOUTHEASTERN FLORIDA...
...HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ON BACK SIDE OF EYE MOVING INTO
METROPOLITAN AREAS OF SOUTHEASTERN FLORIDA...
...REMAIN INDOORS...

AT 11 AM EDT...1500Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 26.9 NORTH... LONGITUDE 80.0 WEST OR ABOUT 15
MILES... 25 KM... NORTH-NORTHEAST OF WEST PALM BEACH FLORIDA.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 105 MPH...165 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. WILMA IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
SCALE. WIND SPEEDS ABOUT ONE CATEGORY STRONGER COULD BE
EXPERIENCED IN HIGH RISE BUILDINGS.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 100 MILES...160 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 260 MILES...415 KM.

_____________________________________________________________

HURRICANE WILMA DISCUSSION
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
11 AM EDT MON OCT 24 2005

THE GEOMETRIC CENTER OF THE LARGE EYE OF WILMA IS NOW MOVING OFF THE
COAST OF SOUTHEASTERN FLORIDA NEAR PALM BEACH. HOWEVER...THE EYE
REMAINS QUITE LARGE AND COMPLETELY INTACT... EVEN ON THE WEST OR
BACK SIDE THAT IS STILL OVER THE PENINSULA. SOME INLAND AREAS HAVE
BEEN EXPERIENCING A RELATIVE CALM PERIOD... BUT ONE THAT IS FAIRLY
SHORT-LIVED DUE TO THE FAST NORTHEASTWARD MOTION OF ABOUT 22 KT.

WINDS IN THE WESTERN EYEWALL REMAIN JUST ABOUT AS STRONG AS ON THE
EAST SIDE. NWS MIAMI WSR-88D RADAR VELOCITIES STILL INDICATE WINDS
NEAR 120 KT AT ABOUT 5000 FT OVER LAND. EVEN STRONGER WINDS ARE
PROBABLY STILL OCCURRING OVER WATER...

_____________________________________________________________

HURRICANE WILMA SPECIAL ADVISORY
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
230 PM EDT MON OCT 24 2005

...WILMA REGAINS CATEGORY THREE STATUS JUST OFF THE EAST COAST OF
FLORIDA...

...TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS STILL OCCURRING AS FAR WEST AS THE
SOUTHWEST COAST OF FLORIDA...

AT 230 PM EDT...1830Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 28.1 NORTH... LONGITUDE 78.8 WEST OR ABOUT 125
MILES... 200 KM... NORTHEAST OF WEST PALM BEACH FLORIDA.

WILMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 29 MPH...46 KM/HR. A
CONTINUED INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24
HOURS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 115 MPH...185 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. WILMA IS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
SCALE. GRADUAL WEAKENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 105 MILES...165 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 260 MILES...415 KM. SETTLEMENT POINT ON THE WESTERN TIP OF GRAND
BAHAMA ISLAND RECENTLY REPORTED SUSTAINED WINDS OF 96 MPH...154
KM/HR...AND A PEAK GUST OF 119 MPH...191 KM/HR.

_______________________________________________________________

HURRICANE WILMA SPECIAL DISCUSSION
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
230 PM EDT MON OCT 24 2005

THIS SPECIAL ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED TO UPDATE THE INITIAL AND
FORECAST INTENSITY FOR WILMA. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WSR-88D
RADAR DATA...AND FLIGHT LEVEL DATA FROM AN AIR FORCE HURRICANE
HUNTER AIRCRAFT...INDICATE WINDS AT 850 MB OF ABOUT 120-125 KT IN
THE SOUTHERN EYEWALL. SINCE THESE WINDS HAVE PERSISTED OVER THE
ATLANTIC OCEAN FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS...IT IS PROBABLY SAFE TO NOW
ASSUME THESE WINDS CORRESPOND TO ABOUT 100 KT AT THE OCEAN SURFACE.

IT IS NOT YET CLEAR IF THIS RESTRENGTHENING WAS SIMPLY DUE TO
REDUCTION OF FRICTIONAL CONVERGENCE ONCE THE EYEWALL EMERGED OVER
WATER...OR IF THE WINDS IN THE EYEWALL STRENGTHENED SOME TIME AFTER
REACHING THE ATLANTIC...PERHAPS DUE TO THE INFLUENCE OF THE GULF
STREAM. BOTH FACTORS LIKELY PLAYED A ROLE.


Source: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2005/WILMA.shtml?

[jinftl]

We have all seen many times the images of broken highrise windows from Wilma in South Florida....the images below are some of the most striking of the 'other' images from Wilma I have come across on the internet during the last 3 years...

Map showing eye's path on http://www.sky-chaser.com. Where I live in Fort Lauderdale, we got hit hard...we never got into the eye, instead we were in the immediate right eyewall for most of Wilma's pass over Florida. Some of the worst damage was in this part of South Florida (north-half of Broward County and south-half of Palm Beach seemed to have overall worst conditions).




And now the winds that were found along Wilma's path...gusts up to at least 120 mph in Fort Lauderdale...





Airborne trampoline?

http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2005/10/24/PH2005102401972.jpg

Line to get into the Winn-Dixie on Galt Mile in Fort Lauderdale...




Jet at Palm Beach Int'l Airport....rough day with Wilma...



http://www.wunderground.com/data/wximagenew/h/HistoricEvidence/6.jpg


Not a great day for limos either on Miami Beach...

[Ptarmigan]

Hurricane Wilma was a disaster for everyone affected. The death toll could of been much higher.

[HurricaneBill]

Hurricane Wilma was a disaster for everyone affected. The death toll could of been much higher.

Had she tracked a bit south, the toll would have been higher.

[Derek Ortt]

Hurricane Wilma was a disaster for everyone affected. The death toll could of been much higher.

Had she tracked a bit south, the toll would have been higher.

Had she tracked just 5 miles to the south, Katrina/Stan probably would have not been the deadliest storms of the season. Remember, 85% of the people volunteered for Darwin awards at KW. 5 miles is how far north the eyewall and the 125 mph winds passed north of KW

[CrazyC83]

Due to its huge eyewall and organization, the surge was probably over 20 feet in the SW Everglades - fortunately that area is uninhabited so we don't know for sure. If that had gone into the Keys, it would have been much worse than the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane (remember, that was a small and compact storm despite being uber-intense).

[HurricaneBill]

I remember in the news reports afterwards, so many people saying how the backside of Wilma surprised them with its intensity.

[jinftl]

It's true....the backside was every bit as intense....if not more....than the front side in terms of highest winds. Overall, Wilma brought hurricane force winds to an unusually large area...most of which was highly urbanized, esp on the east coast of the state. Often times, people overestimiate the winds they think they have experienced in a storm....and Wilma confirmed this. Category 1 and Category 2 winds can not be downplayed at all. Look at what they did not only in Wilma but in Ike. Bottom line, sustained Cat 1 and Cat 2 winds hitting a highly urbanized area can be very destructive.

Another factor that made the backside so damaging...esp to the tree canopy...was that the winds shifted to the west on the backside and that is not the prevailing wind direction in south florida. We usually see an east or se flow most of the year and I recall a tree specialist being interviewed post-Wilma saying that when the winds came out of the west well over 100 mph in areas in gusts, it hit the trees from a direction that they were not accustomed to having flexibility in.....this led to a bigger loss in the tree canopy during the backhalf.

I remember in the news reports afterwards, so many people saying how the backside of Wilma surprised them with its intensity.

[Tampa Bay Hurricane]

I remember wilma brought tropical storm force winds here where
I live. It also brought heavy thunderstorms in squalls the night before.
Clearwater officially had maximum sustained winds of 47 mph with gusts
to 55 mph. (See the official storm report)

[jinftl]

That data fits right in with what the NHC reported as far as Wilma's windfield at landfall...


HURRICANE WILMA ADVISORY
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
11 AM EDT MON OCT 24 2005

AT 11 AM EDT...1500Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 26.9 NORTH... LONGITUDE 80.0 WEST OR ABOUT 15
MILES... 25 KM... NORTH-NORTHEAST OF WEST PALM BEACH FLORIDA.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 105 MPH...165 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. WILMA IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
SCALE. WIND SPEEDS ABOUT ONE CATEGORY STRONGER COULD BE
EXPERIENCED IN HIGH RISE BUILDINGS.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 100 MILES...160 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 260 MILES...415 KM.

I remember wilma brought tropical storm force winds here where
I live. It also brought heavy thunderstorms in squalls the night before.
Clearwater officially had maximum sustained winds of 47 mph with gusts
to 55 mph. (See the official storm report)

[HurricaneBill]

YouTube clips of Wilma:

Belle Meade

Royal Palm Beach

Miami Beach

Weston

Naples

Marco Island

Everglades City

North Fort Myers

Miami

Fort Pierce

[DanKellFla]

I remember in the news reports afterwards, so many people saying how the backside of Wilma surprised them with its intensity.

SURE WAS!!!! And the gusts weren't brief either. They would go on for almost a minute. It sure seemed like a long time.

[jinftl]

Excerpt from NWS Miami report on Hurricane Wilma...

An interesting and revealing aspect of Wilma was the wind field in the eye wall. The winds on the back (south/west) side of the eye wall were as strong, if not stronger, than those on the front (north/east) side. This goes against the common, but sometimes erroneous, belief that the strongest winds in a hurricane are always in the right-front quadrant of the storm. This occurred over much of South Florida, except for central and southern Miami-Dade County which barely missed the southwestern portion of the eye wall, and likely contributed to the heavier damage across Broward and Palm Beach counties compared to slightly lesser damage across much of Miami-Dade and Collier counties.

Sustained hurricane force winds (74 mph or greater) were observed over all areas except Hendry and Glades counties, and even those two counties measured hurricane force gusts. The highest recorded gusts were in the 100-120 mph range.

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mfl/events/?id=wilma


Radar loop shows the very intense band that developed and moved through se fl on the back side of the eye....the band starts to really take shape around 10am in the area from Naples to Miami. By 10:30, it is growing in intensity across south and west broward and far north miami-dade. By 10:45 it is over I-75 in Broward and through 595 in metro Broward right into Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood. The band doesn't move much in the next 15-30 minutes...blasting Fort Lauderdale and then points north into Palm Beach county afterward.

[HurricaneHunter914]

You can see the number "2" that formed in her eye right before landfall on that loop. Wilma was a strange hurricane. Had a tiny eye, giant eye, eye w/ a "2" in it, and then 2 "eyes" at the same time.