Hurricane Wilma To Hit Florida Within Hours
Published October 23, 2005
Article here:
Hurricane Wilma accelerated toward storm-weary Florida on Sunday and grew stronger, threatening residents with 110-mph winds, tornadoes and a surge of seawater that could flood the Keys and the state's southwest coast.After crawling slowly through the Caribbean for several days, Wilma pulled away from Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula as a Category 2 storm and, forecasters said, began picking up speed "like a rocket" as it headed toward the U.S. mainland. The storm was expected to make landfall around dawn Monday.
Wilma looks likely to become a Category Three hurricane before landfall. It's on the cusp of such an upgrade already, and landfall isn't expected for another 12 hours or so. That's another half-day for Wilma to grow stronger over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Here's a track map.
Wilma will probably exit Florida near West Palm Beach, not too far south of my location. I fully expect to be without power for several days. And perhaps that is being optimistic, when one considers that I was without power for almost the entire month of September last year after Hurricane Frances and Hurricane Jeanne tore a similar swath through Florida (albeit from the opposite direction).
So, if ya'll promise to wish me luck, I'll promise to keep my looting to a minimum... ;-)
- Hurricane Wilma To Hit Florida Within Hours
- Published: October 23, 2005
- Type: News
- Section: Sci/Tech
- Filed Under: Sci/Tech: Science
- Writer: RJ Elliott
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RJ Elliott is a graduate student studying Criminal Justice at the University Of Central Florida. His likes include nature, sports, and pierced blondes. He dislikes daytime television, left-wing dictators, and lead-tainted Chinese imports. He is ambivalent about Angelina Jolie.

Take care, RJ!