Wilma Watching

[SnowBear]

Bang on the button, Ten Thousand Islands....Second Landfall of Hurricane Wilma

Marco/Everglades City

(Even if she did take a detour to the Yucatan )

Edited October 24, 2005 by SnowBear

[Roger J Smith]

I'm watching live TV coverage from the southwest coast of FL ... Naples is being buffetted by 80 mph ENE winds, not much visible damage (although it's dark, of course). At Marco Island south of Naples, the reporters are standing outside on the beach, nothing is happening since they are in the eye (1030z). They report breaks in the overcast and a light east wind, the exact centre of the eye is just south of them. From radar, would estimate the worst winds now are 125-130 mph across the unpopulated Everglades, but Everglades City where no reporters are located for safety reasons, probably being subjected to 110 mph winds at present.

If this cat-3 hurricane had to come ashore anywhere, this is probably the best place as far as minimizing damage. Key West reporting significant flooding but wind damage minor and the storm already subsiding. Very strong winds now approaching the Miami-Dade area (call Horatio) and the east coast is about to be hit by cat-1 winds. Opinions seem to vary about how quickly Wilma will subside in intensity during this brief land traverse. Since the forward speed has picked up to almost 40 mph in the past hour and the eye is contracting, I think there may be a brief period with 90-110 mph winds around Miami in about an hour, but conditions won't be worse than that further north closer to the track because the storm will then weaken to high-end cat-1 by 15z with the exit point being between Palm Beach and Vero Beach. So, all points north of Miami to Vero Beach will likely see about the same intensity of winds later this morning (local time).

[markp1980]

Does anyone have any Net tv links/ webcams etc?

[johnholmes]

hi

here is a map showing where Marcos Island is

regards

John

sod it the name has disappered, hang on a min will re post

j

Edited October 24, 2005 by johnholmes

[johnholmes]

hi again

try again

about the same place

John

[I can't believe it's not better]

And damn just discovered the Brooks cam is no longer working - it was about an hour ago but then I don't suppose the thing stood a chance being that close to the sea front.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, just tried that. It is dark there though. Maybe it will work a bit later.

[kold weather]

Wilma has made offical landfall:

WTNT64 KNHC 241033

TCUAT4

HURRICANE WILMA TROPICAL CYCLONE UPDATE

NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL

630 AM EDT MON OCT 24 2005

AT 630 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE WILMA MADE LANDFALL VERY

NEAR CAPE ROMANO FLORIDA. THIS POSITION IS ABOUT 20 MILES WEST OF

EVERGLADES CITY FLORIDA. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS AT LANDFALL WERE

ESTIMATED TO BE 125 MPH...A STRONG CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE.

FORECASTER PASCH

The eye is still huge though and so even with the speed its moving at its still likely going to take about 2hrs for the whole eye totravel over it before your back in the western eyewall.The eye is so large that it is going to be fairly stable for a while over land and will probably only be over land for about 6hrs and over flat land and the two factors will ptrobably mean only some small weakening occuring before it exits into the atlantic and will still give Maimi region as well as other areas to the south and probably t othe north of here will see minimal cat-2 winds,so probably upto 100mph I reckon there.

Latest plotting from the NHC suggest that the hurricane is already about 5-10 miles inland just 20 minutes after landfall,impressive speed!!

Edited October 24, 2005 by kold weather

[Ryan M]

Why do these Americans fail to heed the warning, it says on Fox that less than 10% of 78,000 Keys residents have evacuated, that means that there is still over 70,000 people still at their own home, I'm sure most of the people have a valid explanation, but still, if they lose their lives it will be their own fault.

Also tornadoes may be a possibility over Central Florida

Edited October 24, 2005 by Ryan M

[SnowBear]

Sat image now shows the whole eye onland, or pretty much as near as....just a little that isnt on the visible.

Edited October 24, 2005 by SnowBear

[Ryan M]

On Fox, it said that there was tornadoes ripping near the Kennedy Space Center, and there has been damage to 2 buildings elsewhere as a result of tornadoes

[crimsone]

On Fox, it said that there was tornadoes ripping near the Kennedy Space Center, and there has been damage to 2 buildings elsewhere as a result of tornadoes

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, there's been a tornado watch for the whole of south florida since last night. The first tornado warnings started being issued in the early hours of the morning, and have been issued a number of times since then. The warning stands untill ater today.

[Ryan M]

Whoa, pictures of Ft Lauderdale cast on Fox, storm looks very intense

[kold weather]

Alot of gusts seem to be coming in that are above 100mph,the highest one in Florida mainland is 114mph at the WFOR TV station,highest gust I've seen so far is 123mph over one of the keys.

The eye is now a good 30-40 mile sinland and seems to stil lbe picking up foward speed as it latches onto stronger and stronger steering currents.Eye itslef is keeping a very good shape and although strength is probably down to 115mph now it still is very strong at the moment is still giving gusts well above what was expected yesterday.

The eye has become more cloud covered but is still fairly clear at the moment considering its been over land now for about a 1hr,pressur eis also still quite low,everglades city reported a pressure of 952mbs.Eyewall looks intresting,some very impressive cell actvity in the eastern qaudrant,this will almost certainly have cat-3 strength gusts in it I'd have thoght.Northen eyewall still looks good,despite being much weaker in terms of wind then the southern side simply because the way the set-up is,still getting cat-1 hurricane force winds I'd have thought.S.eyewall does look lacking in terms of strength but despite the lack of any substanial convective actvity is still likely to be the strongest qaudrant in terms of winds along with the strong E.quadrant.The cells are going to be strong and wil lalso dump alot for ain in a short time and infact t obe honest I think the hurricanes holding its shape very well at the moment,looks like we have a battler with Wilma,then again what do we expect from a hurricane that was stuck over land for two days whilst still emerging as a strong category-1.

So Wilma now clsoe to being half-way across Flroida,stil la cat-3 and I think you'll see it emerge into the atlantic as a strong cat-2,with the SE of Flroida still likely to see 100mph+ winds in the eastern eyewalls.Indeed the storm is holding together very wlel and it has every chance of emerging from Florida still as a strong hurricane and really won't weaken by a great deal over land,esp considering its only going to be over land for another 2-3hrs at the rate its moving!

Edited October 24, 2005 by kold weather

[Polar Bear]

here are two webcam links which are still working ( for me at least)

http://hotels.daytonabeach.com/webcam/

http://volusia.org/beach/daytona.htm

although am not quite sure where abouts they are located yet. will check.

[markp1980]

Thanks Polar bear.

A great cam that top one.

Can see the wind blowing the sand by the see wall and the sea is getting rougher by the minute

Edited October 24, 2005 by markp1980

[kaz]

they are reporting that the back end of the storm the winds are alot stronger. And the eye lasted for nearly an hour.. Got my info from fox news.

lol

[Polar Bear]

Thanks Polar bear.

A great cam that top one.

Can see the wind blowing the sand by the see wall and the sea is getting rougher by the minute

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

no probs - amazing heh

- check this also - I think duval street has flooded!!

http://www.liveduvalstreet.com/index.htm

[markp1980]

yes, wow!

I see.

Is that in the florida keys?

Is wilma still heading in our direction for the weekend?

[Polar Bear]

yes, wow!

I see.

Is that in the florida keys?

Is wilma still heading in our direction for the weekend?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

key west apparantly. will try and find a map to post a link

[Hurricane Debby]

here are two webcam links which are still working ( for me at least)

http://hotels.daytonabeach.com/webcam/

http://volusia.org/beach/daytona.htm

although am not quite sure where abouts they are located yet. will check.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Excellent stuff snowbear - thanks for the link

Noticed views on here are now at 10,703. Think we'll break the record on the earlier Wilma thread of 11,584 ?!

[markp1980]

The sea on the daytona beach cam is slowly getting closer to the sea wall.

Is that area near the storm center?

[smich]

Classic radar image :o

Can't beleive how much speed she's picked up!

Smich

[londonsnow]

wind gust of 121mph recorded in miami!

[SnowBear]

[Polar Bear]

Excellent stuff snowbear - thanks for the link

Noticed views on here are now at 10,703. Think we'll break the record on the earlier Wilma thread of 11,584 ?!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

djm - no probs. I know I noticed the no of views - incredible. The alpha thread too I beleve has over 2000 already, but haven't had a chance to have a review of any posts yet.

Markp for details of whereabouts of the dival street webcam: look at the same site as the site it has a very good detailed map

By the way djm - am Polar Bear not snowbear, but no worries - v easy mistake