HURRICANE WILMA:
Wilma's winds intensify to 175 mph as it becomes strongest hurricane ever
First evacuation ordered; Monroe County says all visitors and nonresidents must leave Keys beginning at noon Wednesday
By Ken Kaye
Staff Writer
Posted October 19 2005, 8:40 AM EDT
Wilma intensified quickly Wednesday into the strongest Atlantic hurricane on record in terms of barometric pressure, as Floridians waited for the Category 5 storm to possibly slam the southern peninsula with weaker but still devastating winds by the weekend.
Monroe County officials have ordered visitors out of the Florida Keys starting at noon Wednesday, the first U.S. evacuations caused by Wilma.
Wilma's top sustained winds reached 175 mph early Wednesday in the most rapid strengthening ever recorded in a hurricane, said Hugh Cobb, a meteorologist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami. At the same time Tuesday, Wilma was only a tropical storm with winds of 70 mph.
Its confirmed pressure readings Wednesday morning dropped to 882 millibars _ the lowest minimum pressure ever measured in a hurricane in the Atlantic basin, according to the hurricane center.
Forecasters said Wilma was stronger than the devastating Labor Day hurricane that hit the Florida Keys in 1935, the strongest Atlantic hurricane to make landfall on record. Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 was the previous record holder for lowest pressure at 888 millibars, but it weakened before making landfall in Mexico.
But Wilma wasn't expected to keep its record strength for long, as higher disruptive atmospheric winds in the Gulf of Mexico around the hurricane should weaken it before landfall, Cobb said. Gulf water temperatures are about 1 or 2 degrees lower than those in the Caribbean, which should inhibit its strength more, he added.
It is still forecast to be a potentially devastating Category 3 or 4 hurricane at landfall, although experts acknowledge they have little skill in making strength forecasts.
Wilma's potential path could threaten coastal areas in southwestern Florida such as Punta Gorda that were hit by Hurricane Charley _ a Category 4 storm that was the first of seven hurricanes to hit Florida or pass nearby since last year. Charley struck on Aug. 13, 2004.
It was also expected to move across the peninsula quickly, which means it wouldn't weaken much over land, Cobb said. That means it's possible Atlantic coast cities such as Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach could also be hit by winds nearly as strong as the west coast, he said.
In Monroe County, meanwhile, emergency management officials at 8:30 a.m. ordered all visitors and non-residents to begin leaving the Keys by noon Wednesday as Wilma continues on a forecast track that may bring it very close to the Florida Keys on Saturday, according to forecasters at the National Hurricane Center.
Emergency management officials decided to move up the timetable for emergency actions because of the increased intensity of the storm, which is now a Category 5.
All visitors and non residents must leave the Keys starting at noon Wednesday, Monroe County said. Also, all state parks will be closed, residents and non-residents in recreational vehicles and high profile vehicles are also ordered to leave. Tolls on the Card Sound bridge will be suspended
Given the current forecast track, tropical storm force winds (39 mph and more) are expected to begin to impact the Keys late Friday night or early Saturday morning.
Wilma, the season's record-tying 12th hurricane, intensified to a strong Category 5 storm Wednesday morning -- the fastest strengthening ever in an Atlantic hurricane -- and it was forecast to reach the Gulf of Mexico on Friday afternoon after marching northwest across the Caribbean.
The tightlly packed system, with hurricane-force winds extend only 15 miles out from the eye, was projected to accelerate toward Florida's Gulf Coast and strike near Naples by Saturday evening, potentially as a Category 4 with 145 mph winds after it weakens a bit
"Wilma is near its maximum potential intensity and further strengthening is not anticipated," the hurricane center said.
From there, Wilma might barrel just south of Lake Okeechobee and emerge in the Atlantic near Stuart, possibly retaining 115 mph strength, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami-Dade County.
"There isn't much between Cape Sable and Miami to slow it down," hurricane specialist Stacy Stewart said. "Plus, you have Everglades water, which is very warm. We could easily be dealing with a Category 3 on this side of the state."
At 5 a.m. Wednesday, tropical storm force winds extended 160 miles out from the center.
Hurricane watches could be hoisted in South Florida by Thursday, and because of the threat of storm surge, an evacuation of coastal residents could be ordered on Thursday or Friday, emergency managers said.
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