Wilma turning? Keys,etc Evacs Announced

[arlwx]

Sorry, looks like it MIGHT be turning to shoot the gap, and so the authorities in the Keys are ordering voluntary evacs today and mandatory ones tomorrow. Marco Island also announced voluntary evacs which might become mandatory.


http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/iwin/us/hurricane.html

HURRICANE WILMA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
1145 AM EDT THU OCT 20 2005

...VOLUNTARY EVACUATION OF RESIDENTS...

...NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST ISSUANCE...
PRECAUTIONARY ACTIONS HAVE BEEN UPDATED.
STORM INFORMATION HAS BEEN UPDATED.
WIND IMPACTS HAVE BEEN UPDATE.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT IS SPECIFIC TO THE FLORIDA KEYS OF MONROE COUNTY.

...WATCHES AND WARNINGS...
HURRICANE AND TROPICAL STORM WATCHES ARE NOT YET IN EFFECT. WATCHES
WILL BE ISSUED WHEN TROPICAL STORM OR HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE
EXPECTED WITHIN 36 HOURS.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 1100 AM EDT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 18.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 85.5 WEST. THIS WAS ABOUT 490
STATUTE MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF KEY WEST. MOVEMENT WAS TOWARD THE
WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 7 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS WERE NEAR 145
MPH...MAKING WILMA A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE. STRENGTHENING WAS
FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS
915 MB...OR 27.02 INCHES OF MERCURY.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT HAS INITIATED A VOLUNTARY EVACUATION OF
RESIDENTS EFFECTIVE THROUGH NOON FRIDAY. AT 600 AM FRIDAY THERE WILL
BEGIN A MANDATORY EVACUATION OF MOBILE HOME RESIDENTS AND
SPECIAL-NEEDS CLIENTS. AT NOON FRIDAY THE PHASED MANDATORY
EVACUATION OF ALL RESIDENTS FROM THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE TO KEY WEST
WILL BEGIN. AT 300 PM FRIDAY A MANDATORY EVACUATION OF RESIDENTS
FROM LONG KEY TO THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE WILL COMMENCE. FINALLY...AT
600 PM FRIDAY EVACUATION OF ALL RESIDENTS LIVING FROM LONG KEY TO
OCEAN REEF WILL TAKE PLACE. OFFICIALS HAVE OPENED THE SHELTER AT
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY FOR RESIDENTS. REMEMBER THAT
GOVERNMENT OFFICES...SCHOOLS AND PARKS ARE CLOSED TODAY...FRIDAY AND
MONDAY. RESIDENTS SHOULD MAKE PREPARATIONS NOW TO PROTECT THEIR
HOMES AND BUSINESSES. THE BRIDGES AT SNAKE CREEK AND JEWFISH CREEK
WILL OPEN ON THE HALF HOUR UNTIL NOON FRIDAY. THEY WILL BE LOCKED
DOWN STARTING AT NOON FRIDAY TO ALLOW UNINTERRUPTED FLOW OF
VEHICULAR TRAFFIC. THE TOLLS ON CARD SOUND ROAD HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED.
IF YOU HAVE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS...CALL THE EMERGENCY HOTLINE AT
1-800-955-5504.

...WIND IMPACTS...
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE KEYS LATE
SATURDAY. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY.

...MARINE IMPACTS...
SMALL CRAFT ARE URGED TO USE CAUTION FRIDAY. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FRIDAY NIGHT.

...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT HURRICANE WILMA LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 230
PM...OR SOONER IF NEW INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE. VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT http://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/KEYWEST.

[Foladar0]

They planned this yesterday but pushed it a day back due to the slowdown. The reasoning is due to the ways out of the Keys, there is only one way out so the roads will be crowded so they have to get them out now.

[Derek Ortt]

it is NOT turning yet

[Nimbus]

I don't know Derek earlier this morning Wilma looked like she was heading about 270 now she is headed NW towards Cozumel. On a 12 hour average thats a WNW extension of the previous track but for the last 3 hours it does look like a change in heading along with a slower forward speed.

[Valkhorn]

it is NOT turning yet

*cooks crow just in case*

My two eyes kind of disagree with you there.

[gpickett00]

adds much a1 bar-b-que sauce to the crow because it needs to be eaten