Hurricane Wilma - Cat. 5

[CronkPSU]

http://intellicast.com/Local/USNationalWide.asp?loc=usa&seg=StormCenter&prodgrp=SatelliteImagery&product=AtlanticLoop&prodnav=none
Look at the last frame of this loop.

HOLY CRAP!!!

[Tampa Bay Hurricane]

With landfall at 100 mph winds were forecasted to gust to 70 mph
along tampa bay.

If it hits landfall at 125 mph how high will the winds be gusting on tampa
bay? I am getting really nervous watching this thing strengthen...

for my friends and everyone else in south florida about to get
impacted by this storm.

[tronbunny]

This just in:

ZCZC MIATCEAT4 ALL
TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM
HURRICANE WILMA TROPICAL CYCLONE POSITION ESTIMATE
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
9 PM EDT SUN OCT 23 2005

AT 9 PM EDT...0100Z... THE CENTER OF THE LARGE EYE OF HURRICANE
WILMA WAS ESTIMATED BY THE NOAA DOPPLER RADAR IN KEY WEST FLORIDA
NEAR LATITUDE 24.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 84.2 WEST OR ABOUT 160 MILES...
255 KM... WEST-SOUTHWEST OF KEY WEST FLORIDA AND ABOUT 210 MILES...
340 KM... 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.

FORECASTER STEWART

$$
NNNN

[johngaltfla]

With landfall at 100 mph winds were forecasted to gust to 70 mph
along tampa bay.

If it hits landfall at 125 mph how high will the winds be gusting on tampa
bay? I am getting really nervous watching this thing strengthen...

for my friends and everyone else in south florida about to get
impacted by this storm.

Don't worry about TS winds as much as tornadic activity. I'm sleeping with the weather radio on all night. And TWC in the background.

This could be a very long, long night for tornadoes. We've already had one near miss....

[HURAKAN]

23/2345 UTC 23.9N 84.3W T5.5/5.5 WILMA -- Atlantic Ocean


Major Hurricane by Dvorak standards.

[cjrciadt]

http://rsd.gsfc.nasa.gov/goes/
The eye is clearing out!!!!!

[THead]

[THead]

[seaswing]

To all my South Florida neighbors~

If you have a weather radio, sleep with it tonight~

Take good care and be extra safe down there. I am saying a prayer for all of you.

See you when the sun shines again!

Lauren

[vaffie]

23/2345 UTC 23.9N 84.3W T5.5/5.5 WILMA -- Atlantic Ocean


Major Hurricane by Dvorak standards.

And that was 1.5 hours ago...!

[6SpeedTA95]

It looks like she's finally beginning to build up some steam.

[Weatherfreak14]

Wow she looks so organized.

[Weatherfreak14]

Wow she looks so organized.

[HomesteadHoney]

you can't compare Rita and Katrina's damage to potential damage down here. Their codes up there were not anywhere near what they are down here.

Wind damage, yes you are right. Water, no. Those "supercodes" are designed for high winds, not 30 foot storm surges.

Most of the horrendous damage wasn't caused by wind. I live 5 miles inland, and got 8 feet of water in my house. Me, along with most others affected, would have escaped serious damage if it had not been for the surge.

Although, I only think people on the immediate Florida coast have to worry about the surge from Wilma. Those super codes will protect many inland homes down there. I hope we enact those same codes up here.

Yeah but those codes ain't worth the paper they're typed on if people don't put up their dang shutters (well the roof frame may stay attached to the house, but the house will be gutted.) Few business are boarded up and only about 1/3 of the houses seem to be. With Katrina, it seemed like 80% plus.

Homestead is prepared! Many had not taken down shutters since Katrina and Rita. I went out for Chinese about an hour ago and the last few businesses were boarding up. We spent the day cutting limbs surrounding the electric and phone lines. If you were ever to go through a major 'cane, you will never take them lightly in the future.
For those of you who read one of my first ever posts a few days back, my girls had their Halloween party last night! No rain but the humidity was like a sauna. It was a great diversion for the kids from the Hurricane stress. Today it has been overcast and gusty but no rain yet. I hope my solar panels on the roof don't disappear!
Just to be on the safe side, we will all sleep in the interior hallway tonight and corral the dogs into a bathroom. Wish us luck down here.

[HomesteadHoney]

you can't compare Rita and Katrina's damage to potential damage down here. Their codes up there were not anywhere near what they are down here.

Wind damage, yes you are right. Water, no. Those "supercodes" are designed for high winds, not 30 foot storm surges.

Most of the horrendous damage wasn't caused by wind. I live 5 miles inland, and got 8 feet of water in my house. Me, along with most others affected, would have escaped serious damage if it had not been for the surge.

Although, I only think people on the immediate Florida coast have to worry about the surge from Wilma. Those super codes will protect many inland homes down there. I hope we enact those same codes up here.

Yeah but those codes ain't worth the paper they're typed on if people don't put up their dang shutters (well the roof frame may stay attached to the house, but the house will be gutted.) Few business are boarded up and only about 1/3 of the houses seem to be. With Katrina, it seemed like 80% plus.

Homestead is prepared! Many had not taken down shutters since Katrina and Rita. I went out for Chinese about an hour ago and the last few businesses were boarding up. We spent the day cutting limbs surrounding the electric and phone lines. If you were ever to go through a major 'cane, you will never take them lightly in the future.
For those of you who read one of my first ever posts a few days back, my girls had their Halloween party last night! No rain but the humidity was like a sauna. It was a great diversion for the kids from the Hurricane stress. Today it has been overcast and gusty but no rain yet. I hope my solar panels on the roof don't disappear!
Just to be on the safe side, we will all sleep in the interior hallway tonight and corral the dogs into a bathroom. Wish us luck down here.

[bigmoney755]

I think it may hit 125mph and im not just wishing to, I really think it will.

[6SpeedTA95]

It looks like she's finally beginning to build up some steam.

[whereverwx]

This reminds me alot about Hurricane Alex of 2004!

[Damar91]

Thanks Lauren, your prayers are welcome!

[HomesteadHoney]

you can't compare Rita and Katrina's damage to potential damage down here. Their codes up there were not anywhere near what they are down here.

Wind damage, yes you are right. Water, no. Those "supercodes" are designed for high winds, not 30 foot storm surges.

Most of the horrendous damage wasn't caused by wind. I live 5 miles inland, and got 8 feet of water in my house. Me, along with most others affected, would have escaped serious damage if it had not been for the surge.

Although, I only think people on the immediate Florida coast have to worry about the surge from Wilma. Those super codes will protect many inland homes down there. I hope we enact those same codes up here.

Yeah but those codes ain't worth the paper they're typed on if people don't put up their dang shutters (well the roof frame may stay attached to the house, but the house will be gutted.) Few business are boarded up and only about 1/3 of the houses seem to be. With Katrina, it seemed like 80% plus.

Homestead is prepared! Many had not taken down shutters since Katrina and Rita. I went out for Chinese about an hour ago and the last few businesses were boarding up. We spent the day cutting limbs surrounding the electric and phone lines. If you were ever to go through a major 'cane, you will never take them lightly in the future.
For those of you who read one of my first ever posts a few days back, my girls had their Halloween party last night! No rain but the humidity was like a sauna. It was a great diversion for the kids from the Hurricane stress. Today it has been overcast and gusty but no rain yet. I hope my solar panels on the roof don't disappear!
Just to be on the safe side, we will all sleep in the interior hallway tonight and corral the dogs into a bathroom. Wish us luck down here.