Hurricane Wilma

[angelfishlover]

Well, for those of you not watching the weather channel, theres another catagory 5 hurricane out there. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of you in the path of this dangerous storm . What also confuses me is how a hurricane could go from a catagory one to a category 5 OVERNIGHT. They expect it to go over florida. I am keeping a close watch on this storm. So all in Florida, PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE STAY SAFE!

[O'Coralman]

Wilma....was my mothers name (rest her soul). If the 'cane is anything like mom....Florida(where she passed)...is in for a rough time. My mother could raise more heck fire than a Flame Thrower with M-16 capabilities She is resting in Georgia...they better hunker down too


My yougest brother is alot like my mother(maybe beyond...he is in jail)....he lives in Florida too.......his name is Andrew. Not good a Oman

[myakkareef]

Yep, keeping an eye out for this one...Predictions are puttig South of us alittle, but it can still cause havok on power outages and rain...Then again they could be off 75 miles and it will be a nightmare for us....Everyone on the westcoast of Florida be safe...

[jeffbrig]

I think everyone on the FL peninsula needs to start planning now for potential power outages. The 5-day "cone of death" covers the entire area, and I'm not sure we'll know more till Friday when it starts to accelerate to the northeast.

Here we go again....

[Aquaman]

Is ready, gas, generator, fresh water, TV dinners, charcoal

[pnosko]

How about a gassed-up vehicle?

[dc]

Hopefully everyone will be safe. I saw on the news that a lot of people were getting ready now instead of waiting.

[mike4271]

I stayed for every hurricane in 12 years, but after this year, I'd be out of there quicker than a rocket from Kennedy

[O'Coralman]

my stepfathr lives in Orlando...he is geeting ready to come here...not gonna wait. I just got off the phone with him....I said.."Mom want you to come seeyour G-daughter'...he said your right its just like her to do this. At least he as humor. "canes have been meesing with him too much latelly

[Sugar Magnolia]

Originally posted by Aquaman
Is ready, gas, generator, fresh water, TV dinners, charcoal

Please don't stay.

[jasonstr8up]

Originally posted by jeffbrig
I think everyone on the FL peninsula needs to start planning now for potential power outages. The 5-day "cone of death" covers the entire area, and I'm not sure we'll know more till Friday when it starts to accelerate to the northeast.

Here we go again....

CONE OF DEATH YOU LISTEN TO PAUL AND YOUNG RON!!

[greenbean36191]

It's now the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic and the fastest intensifying. Time to get out.

[Hobster]

I can't remember a storm predicted to take such a drastic hard right turn after passing Cuba. If it stays on the predicted course it will pretty much be a direct hit on us. I have just about enough for this year.

[Sugar Magnolia]

Wow, this is incredible! http://www.weather.com/newscenter/tr...=wxcenter_news

Truly frightening!

[jeffbrig]

Hobster, it's not that strange when you think of the bigger picture. Every atlantic storm turns north the northeast at some point, that's the prevailing movement across eastern US (influenced by the jet stream). It's just a question of how far south that NE flow is. In this case, it's pretty far south, so it's expected to begin steering the hurricane before it gets any further into the gulf. Combine that with the fact that there is very little steering this storm currently, and a "sharp" turn is not unusual.

I will be staying, but I'm on the east coast, so we're not facing the brunt of the storm. I have plenty of food (even MREs), water, charcoal, gas, generator ready, etc.

[Agu]

Originally posted by Sugar Magnolia
Please don't stay.

Sugar,

You need to understand one thing, there's no place to go. During Charley the people who evacuated inland were evacuated into the path of the storm. For me to evacuate means driving 80 miles north right through Tampa. Odds are I'd sit out the storm stuck in traffic with an empty gas tank.

Our neighbors have a full set of hurricane shutters and we're invited over if necessary. It's BYOB though.........

[Hobster]

Here is a good one to gauge the SIZE.

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA...OAT/VIS/20.jpg

[Sugar Magnolia]

I know Agu. I used to live in Boca Raton and weathered many a Hurricane. None were a category 5 though.

I need to call my brother tonight. He's still living in Boca.

[jeffbrig]

Agu has a very valid point. Unless you're committed to driving all the way to Atlanta to find a hotel room, you probably don't have a whole lot of options.

If you live in a well-built structure that is several miles inland, and not low lying, you should be able to ride out this storm (it will weaken before landfall, cat3 projected). The worst damage is caused by storm surge and wind at the immediate coast.

[Dolfan0925]

jeffbrig make sure you let us know how it goes. I'm planning on moving to Lake Worth in a year or two when I get my finances in order.

Is there any cat. higher than a 5? Catagory HOLY ****!!!

[mike4271]

Originally posted by Agu
Sugar,

You need to understand one thing, there's no place to go. During Charley the people who evacuated inland were evacuated into the path of the storm. For me to evacuate means driving 80 miles north right through Tampa. Odds are I'd sit out the storm stuck in traffic with an empty gas tank.

Our neighbors have a full set of hurricane shutters and we're invited over if necessary. It's BYOB though.........

You know where I used to live Agu, well inland. I still have friends with empty rental properties, you know you only have to ask, Mike

[Dolfan0925]

On a positive note, it looks like when it's going to take that right turn it's going to slam on the gas. So it doesn't look like it'll hang out in FL for long. But where is it going after it passes FL? Will it be coming back towards the carolinas/New England?

[jeffbrig]

Originally posted by Dolfan0925
But where is it going after it passes FL? Will it be coming back towards the carolinas/New England?

The best information you can find is to read the technical discussion on the NHC website at 5am/11am/5pm/11pm. They tell you what is being generated by the various computer models, which ones they do/don't agree with, so you can understand what goes into the official forecast track.

www.nhc.noaa.gov

From the 11am discussion:

THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE CHANGE TO THE FORECAST
TRACK THROUGH 96 HOURS. HOWEVER...RECENT RUNS OF THE GFS AND
NOGAPS ARE SUGGESTING THE POSSIBILITY OF A THREAT TO NEW ENGLAND.
IN THIS SCENARIO...WILMA BECOMES CAPTURED BY A LARGE MID- TO
UPPER-LEVEL LOW FORECAST TO MOVE INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION IN
FOUR DAYS. THE ECMWF AND IN PARTICULAR THE UKMET...BOTH OLDER
RUNS...DO NOT YET INDICATE THIS. THE FIVE-DAY OFFICIAL FORECAST
POINT HAS BEEN ADJUSTED TO THE LEFT AND FASTER THAN THE PREVIOUS
ADVISORY...BUT IS STILL MUCH FARTHER OFFSHORE OF NEW ENGLAND THAN
THE GFDL...GFS...AND NOGAPS GUIDANCE

[Aquaman]

Originally posted by Sugar Magnolia
Please don't stay.

Thanks for the concern, but its not really gonna be a problem. Even a cat 5 will loose its strength by the time it hits me. I cant fit a 120 gal in the SUV along with the 3 cats and GreenWing Macaw. besides where would I go, Im on call with work.

My folks live in Kissimmee, Their home has been through hurricanes since the 60's, they installed hurricane shutters after last year, If I go anywhere it would be over to their house.

I have 3/4" plywood still in the garage from last year, I will board up the windows and hunker down. Im gonna gas up the car and fill up my gas cans.

Unlike alot of folks that got a rude awaking after last years Hurricanes, I've lived in Florida my whole life and have always been prepared for these events.

Besides...
< is Aquaman, wet weather is no problem for me

[Hobster]

Originally posted by Dolfan0925

Is there any cat. higher than a 5? Catagory HOLY ****!!!

Nope! Just higher winds.
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshs.shtml

You will of course have to be banned now due to the *****.