Wilma Officially a Hurricane

[Nimmuk]

Wilma Becomes The 12th Hurricane Of The Season As It Heads
Northwestward...expected To Strengthen Further Today...

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.

Wilma Is Forecast To Become A Major Hurricane In The Northwestern
Caribbean Sea. All Interests In Western Cuba...the Yucatan
Peninsula...the Florida Keys...and The Florida Peninsula Should
Closely Monitor The Progress Of Wilma.

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

At 11 Am Edt...1500z...the Center Of Hurricane Wilma Was Located
Near Latitude 16.5 North... Longitude 80.6 West Or About 195
Miles... 320 Km... South-southeast Of Grand Cayman And About 200
Miles... 325 Km...east-northeast Of Cabo Gracias A Dios On The
Nicaragua/honduras Border.

Wilma Is Moving Toward The Northwest Near 7 Mph ...11 Km/hr... And
This Motion Is Expected To Continue For The Next 24 Hours.

Maximum Sustained Winds Are Near 75 Mph...120 Km/hr...with Higher
Gusts. Wilma Is A Category One Hurricane On The Saffir-simpson
Scale. Additional Strengthening Is Forecast During The Next 24
Hours...and Wilma Is Expected To Become A Major Hurricane
During The Next Day Or Two.

Hurricane Force Winds Extend Outward Up To 15 Miles... 30 Km...
From The Center...and Tropical Storm Force Winds Extend Outward Up
To 120 Miles...195 Km.

Estimated Minimum Central Pressure Is 977 Mb...28.85 Inches.

Wilma Is Expected To Produce Rainfall Accumulations Of 4 To 6 Inches
Over The Cayman Islands...jamaica...haiti...and Southeastern
Cuba...with Isolated Amounts Of 8 To 12 Inches Possible. Rainfall
Accumulations Of 2 To 3 Inches...with Isolated Amounts Of 6 To 10
Inches...are Possible Over Honduras And Nicaragua.

Repeating The 11 Am Edt Position...16.5 N... 80.6 W. Movement
Toward...northwest Near 7 Mph. Maximum Sustained
Winds... 75 Mph. Minimum Central Pressure... 977 Mb.

An Intermediate Advisory Will Be Issued By The National
Hurricane Center At 2 Pm Edt Followed By The Next
Complete Advisory At 5 Pm Edt.

Forecaster Franklin

[Nimmuk]

1 Am Edt Wed Oct 19 2005

...air Force Plane Finds 150 Mph Winds In Wilma...

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 Wilma.

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

At 1 Am Edt...0500z...the Center Of Hurricane Wilma Was Located Near
Latitude 16.9 North...longitude 82.0 West Or About 175 Miles...
280 Km...south-southwest Of Grand Cayman And About 405 Miles...655
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.

An Air Force Plane Measured Maximum Sustained Winds Of Near 150
Mph...240 Km/hr...with Higher Gusts. Wilma Is An Extremely
Dangerous Category Four Hurricane On The Saffir-simpson Scale. The
Hurricane Could Become A Category Five Hurricane Today.

Hurricane Force Winds Extend Outward Up To 15 Miles... 30 Km...
From The Center...and Tropical Storm Force Winds Extend Outward Up
To 155 Miles...250 Km.

Latest Minimum Central Pressure Just Reported By An Air Force
Reconnaissance Plane Was Is 901 Mb...26.61 Inches.

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 1 Am Edt Position...16.9 N... 82.0 W. Movement
Toward...west-northwest Near 8 Mph. Maximum Sustained Winds...150
Mph. Minimum Central Pressure... 901 Mb.

An Intermediate Advisory Will Be Issued By The National Hurricane
Center At 2 Am Edt Followed By The Next Complete Advisory At 5 Am
Edt.

[SillyDoc]

It's been a hurricane for the last 12-15 hrs. What it is now is a Category FOUR!

It's unthinkable but.....could another Ivan happen right now?

[GoodDoc]

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/storm_graphics/AT24/refresh/AL2405W5+gif/050646W_sm.gif

from
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at4+shtml/050646.shtml?5day

[Crazytrain-Rider]

NOAA just sent out an update saying Wilma is a Cat 5 with the 2nd lowest pressure measured ever (892mb).

[MDXRS22]

This is not a game!
Wilma is a Category 5 now!
I am starting to believe that there is someone behind those hurricanes.

[Jeffrey SGU]

I hope everyone safely avoids the path of Wilma. I think all of us have seen way too much damage and loss of life over the past year thoughout the world.

[JTP73]

You should see the size of the waves right outside my back porch! Some rain, mostly intermittent, but a lot of the soil has eroded from the shore. Supposedly, Wilma's moving away from GC, but you wouldn't know from the looks of things in WB right now.

Stay safe y'all!

[Junito]

Wow!!! My thought and prayers goes out to those who may be affected by this storm.

[JTP73]

10-12 foot waves, some of the blowholes shooting 100+ feet into the air, and a lot of debris on the shore and in the water.

A lot of the construction workers left boards and trash in piles on land, and all of that has washed everywhere and into the ocean.

I just watched a wooden pallet be torn apart by the waves which crashed it into the rocks and shore.

The power of Nature is amazing!

[UFTim]

From NHC:
AT 2 PM EDT...1800Z...THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND HURRICANE WATCH FOR THE CAYMAN ISLANDS HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED.

However, they said we still have chance of getting 5-10 inches of rain, and up 15 inches in some areas.

[JTP73]

please tell the waves outside of my window that there is no longer a threat! It's not easy staying focused on studying when the thunderous roar of the waves crashes water onto my porch!


Where I come from, the weather forecasters are never correct, so I remain cynically cautious.

JP