Hurricane Wilma aimed at FL, Cat 5!

[Mr D]

Hurricane Wilma currently has equaled the low pressure of the 1935 labor day Hurricane of 1935.
Forecast models have it aimed at central Florida.


000
WTNT64 KNHC 190629
TCUAT4
HURRICANE WILMA TROPICAL CYCLONE UPDATE
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
230 AM EDT WED OCT 19 2005
DATA FROM A RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT HURRICANE WILMA
HAS BECOME AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. THE RECONNAISSANCE PLANE MEASURED
175 MPH WINDS AND ESTIMATED A MINIMUM PRESSURE OF 892 MB. THIS IS
THE LOWEST PRESSURE OBSERVED IN 2005 AND IS EQUIVALENT TO THE
MINIMUM PRESSURE OF THE 1935 LABOR DAY HURRICANE IN THE FLORIDA
KEYS.

FORECASTER AVILA

 

[Mr D]

 

[Mr D]

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...

A Hurricane Watch Is In Effect For The East Coast Of The Yucatan
Peninsula From Cabo Catoche To Punta Gruesa.

A Hurricane Watch Remains In Effect In Cuba For The Provinces Of
Matanzas Westward Through Pinar Del Rio...and For The Isle Of
Youth. A Hurricane Watch Means That Hurricane Conditions Are
Possible Within The Watch Area...generally Within 36 Hours.

A Tropical Storm Warning Remains In Effect For Honduras From The
Honduras/nicaragua Border Westward To Cabo Camaron.

A Tropical Storm Warning And A Hurricane Watch Remain In Effect For
The Cayman Islands.

All Interests In The Florida Keys And The Florida Peninsula Should
Closely Monitor The Progress Of Extremely Dangerous Hurricane Wilma.

For Storm Information Specific To Your Area...including Possible
Inland Watches And Warnings...please Monitor Products Issued
By Your Local Weather Office.

At 5 Am Edt...0900z...the Center Of Hurricane Wilma Was Located Near
Latitude 17.2 North...longitude 82.5 West Or About 170 Miles...
270 Km...south-southwest Of Grand Cayman And About 365 Miles...
590 Km...southeast Of Cozumel Mexico.

Wilma Is Moving Toward The West-northwest Near 8 Mph...13 Km/hr. A
Turn Toward The Northwest Is Expected During The Next 24 Hours.

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 Force Winds Extend Outward Up To 15 Miles... 30 Km...
From The Center...and Tropical Storm Force Winds Extend Outward Up
To 160 Miles...260 Km.

An Air Force Plane Just Measured A Minimum Central Pressure Of 884
Mb...26.10 Inches. This Is The Lowest Pressure Ever Recorded In A
Hurricane In The Atlantic Basin. However...this Pressure Value
Should Be Used With Caution Until It Is Fully Calibrated.

Wilma Is Expected To Produce Storm Total Accumulations Of 10 To 15
Inches...with Local Amounts Near 25 Inches In Mountainous Terrain
Across Cuba Through Friday. Additional Rainfall Accumulations Of 5
To 10 Inches...with Local Amounts Of 15 Inches...are Possible
Across The Cayman Islands...swan Island...and Jamaica Through
Thursday. Storm Total Accumulations Of 4 To 6 Inches...with
Isolated Amounts Of 8 To 12 Inches...are Possible From Honduras
Northward To The Yucatan Peninsula Of Mexico Through Thursday.

Repeating The 5 Am Edt Position...17.2 N... 82.5 W. Movement
Toward...west-northwest Near 8 Mph. Maximum Sustained Winds...175
Mph. Minimum Central Pressure... 884 Mb.

An Intermediate Advisory Will Be Issued By The National Hurricane
Center At 8 Am Edt Followed By The Next Complete Advisory At 11 Am
Edt.

Forecaster Avila

 

[Mr D]

 

[Motherfletcher]

Locally they are saying it should hit here or near here Saturday afternoon. The eye is small and should collapse and reform a few times and when it hits the Gulf waters, the westerlies and some upper shear it should detensify. It is still a castostrphic catagory 5 hurricane and needs monitoring but I would say that Orlando and vicinity is fairly safe. Marco Island is the current projected landfall.

 

[mitros]

Let's keep our fingers crossed, especially those of us that live in central Florida as well as those scheduled to be at WDW this coming week. This thing could go further north or south at this point. It is anyone's guess at this juncture.

 

[YoHo]

Maybe it will take out the Value resorts and we'll be able to stop talking about them.

 

[grumbada]

How sadly ironic that you should say that.. Since they just evacuated the Ft. Wilderness guests to the All-Star resorts.

 

[Nink]

So, how are things in WDW now? Was there any wind damage?

I am going to be there in 4 weeks.

 

[Uncleromulus]

From all I've been able to see, there was virtually no damage whatsoever--even at Ft. Wilderness.
As for forecaster Avila--talk about "Weather-speak"!!
What most folks wanted to know--and as early as possible--was if Wilma would impact WDW. And when.
Took awhile before that became clear---.
I seem to recall that one very early forecast had Wilma "brushing" the Yucatan before "racing" to the NE.

 

[DMRick]

I'm curious if the wind was the reason for facade on two of the "buildings" on the NY scene in MGM being missing (and a small piece of the building next to it). We asked a cast member yesterday, and he hesitated and then said one of the hurricanes may have damaged it. Anyone notice if those two hugh pretend buildings were blank before Monday?