Wilma... wonderful, just wonderful

[DandyDon]

....or go diving!

We leave in six hours for Rainbow River. Based on the lastest estimates, Wilma won't hit the Western Florida coast until sometime Monday. We'll sneak down, get in some diving, and be outta there by Sunday afternoon.

Okay, I've already posted enough about what I think of your ideas.

Please do come back and tell us about the weekend, especially of leaving on Sunday when half of the state is doing the same thing.

 

[CBulla]

lalala.. I'm bored....

 

[DennisS]

lalala.. I'm bored....

My father used to say, "there's a lot worse things than being bored"

 

[wreckchick]

I'm ready to be on the other side of this storm. The waiting is excruciating.

Best wishes to the folks in Cancun and Coz!

Rachel

 

[DandyDon]

From NOAA...

AT 10 PM CDT...0300Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 20.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 86.9 WEST OR ABOUT
15 MILES... 25 KM...SOUTH OF CANCUN MEXICO. THIS IS ALSO ABOUT
20 MILES... 35 KM...NORTH OF COZUMEL MEXICO.

WILMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 3 MPH... 6 KM/HR.
A SLOW MOTION TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST OR NORTH IS EXPECTED
DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THIS MOTION SHOULD BRING THE CENTER OF
WILMA OVER THE EXTREME NORTHEASTERN YUCATAN PENINSULA TONIGHT AND
SATURDAY.

3 mph movement? It must seem like it's moved in to stay there.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 140 MPH...220 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. WILMA IS A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
SCALE. SOME WEAKENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS AS THE
CENTER OF WILMA IS OVER LAND.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 85 MILES...140 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 200 MILES...325 KM.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 932 MB...27.52 INCHES.

COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 7 TO 11 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE
LEVELS... ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES... CAN BE
EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF THE CENTER ALONG ON THE
NORTHEASTERN YUCATAN PENINSULA.

WILMA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE 10 TO 20 INCHES OF RAIN THROUGH
SUNDAY ACROSS PORTIONS OF WESTERN CUBA AND THE YUCATAN PENINSULA...
WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 40 INCHES POSSIBLE.

Does this mean that the outer bands are already hitting Florida...?

OUTER RAINBANDS WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN FLORIDA... ESPECIALLY THE KEYS... PRODUCING 2 TO 4 INCH RAINFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH SUNDAY.

NOAA BUOY 42003 IN THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO INDICATES THAT LARGE
SWELLS GENERATED BY WILMA HAVE PROPAGATED WELL INTO THE EASTERN
GULF OF MEXICO. THESE SWELLS WILL LIKELY AFFECT PORTIONS OF THE
NORTHERN GULF COAST TONIGHT AND SATURDAY.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Does this mean that the outer bands are already hitting Florida...?

Yup. Over here on the east coast of Florida, we are getting downpours and rain. No diving. Yukky outside (unless you are a duck) and everybody is in a holding pattern. We are expecting Monday to be a washout. Since the hurrican force wind field is projected to be so large, as Wilma makes landfall on the west coast, we will be having HF winds over here at the same time...sigh..

 

[CBulla]

Yupper Don, we're gettin rain and clouds.. had a few brief moments of SUN yesterday.

I seriously feel for that portion of Mexico right now.. sustained 110 knot winds (126mph) right now and its continuing to churn and churn and churn..

Hey Jenny - I went out and bought some kites to fly on Monday... I figure its one of the few times in my life I can honestly say I did that activity!

 

[wreckchick]

We've had outer bands bringing rain and clouds here for about 4 days. It's not anything hurricane-like, just crappy.

Rachel

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Well...there ya go! 3 south Florida reports..east coast, west coast and keys. Almost as good as the Weather Channel! :rofl:

 

[HowardE]

I think we're safe... as long as that guy Jum Cantore (weather channel guy) isn't in my town... Wherever he goes, they seem to get the worst of it. If you see him on TV, and he's in your town... better run.