Hurricane Wilma - Storm Upgraded

[Norma]

I've heard that in the Keys, once the winds are a sustained 45 MPH, that EMS won't budge until the winds speed is back down.

 

[RiverRat]

It's here............I just wish that daylight would hurry up. And that the electricity stays on. Charley took away most of our trees, so maybe that will help. This storm is a little south of Charlotte County but I can feel it.....just wish that I could record how the wind sounds and share that with the pictures I'll be taking.

:truce:

 

[poco]

Hi guys. It's Poco. I'm a little SW of Tampa in Seminole, Florida. Rain and wind, but nothing horrible - yet - and I hope it stays that way!!! It's 7:25 and I believe Wilma has landed, so hopefully this is as bad as it will get for us. (I'm thrill seeking today and riding this one out without a Valium).

 

[RiverRat]

Daybreak is shedding light and it is an amazing sight. Power has flickered, so Over and Out for now.

 

[Beyond Belief]

Well I just thought I would check in before we lose power here on the Treasure Coast just north of Palm Beach County. It sounds awful out there, but have heard no crashing like trees falling. The power is flickering but staying on.

Stay safe everyone.

 

[redeskimo]

I just called my sister in Naples on her Cellphone lot's of damage around the house she is in at the moment . Pine trees just breaking like match sticks , the patio over the pool is gone , she say's it is so scary . like a freight train is going by and the earth seems to be shaking .

 

[SoloFlyer]

I wonder if Collier county did something about it's dirty secret!. Collier loves to brag about the amount of money spent on the homes in Naples and Marco Island. What they fail to mention is the refugee and homeless populations in Immokalee, Everglades City and in the ininhabited areas living in the abandoned culverts between Interstate 75 and US 41. The population of undocumented or illegal immigrants from Mexico, Cuba and Haiti living in Collier county may exceed the official count of residents. Most are documented as homeless, collecting foodstamps and any other handout they can for the children born in the USA. The parent or parents usually work in the fields and live in the squallor of migrant housing or homelessness.
Collier and Naples like to pretend these problems belong to all the counties around them but not to their exclusive community but ask them why they need 2 welfare offices. And these wealthy elite people will be more concerned about the Florida black bear population than the sub-people that they pretend do not exist. The same sub-people that do the dirty low-paying jobs that no one else wants and keeps the cost of goods and food lower for the wealthy elite.

 

[redeskimo]

I wonder if Collier county did something about it's dirty secret!. Collier loves to brag about the amount of money spent on the homes in Naples and Marco Island. What they fail to mention is the refugee and homeless populations in Immokalee, Everglades City and in the ininhabited areas living in the abandoned culverts between Interstate 75 and US 41. The population of undocumented or illegal immigrants from Mexico, Cuba and Haiti living in Collier county may exceed the official count of residents. Most are documented as homeless, collecting foodstamps and any other handout they can for the children born in the USA. The parent or parents usually work in the fields and live in the squallor of migrant housing or homelessness.
Collier and Naples like to pretend these problems belong to all the counties around them but not to their exclusive community but ask them why they need 2 welfare offices. And these wealthy elite people will be more concerned about the Florida black bear population than the sub-people that they pretend do not exist. The same sub-people that do the dirty low-paying jobs that no one else wants and keeps the cost of goods and food lower for the wealthy elite.

What has any of this to do with Wilma ?? I'm sure the homeless can go to the shelters that were opened . As for the rest even the "wealthy Elite" as you say can be innocent victims of a storm .

 

[SoloFlyer]

What has any of this to do with Wilma ?? I'm sure the homeless can go to the shelters that were opened . As for the rest even the "wealthy Elite" as you say can be innocent victims of a storm .

Did you miss Hurricane katrina? You need not attack me for bringing attention to the plight of the less fortunate.

We have seen nothing about Naples on the news but the wonderful homes and boutiques. They have failed to mention the thousands of people that live in culverts and cardboard boxes out in the woods or the substandard housing called migrant housing. There are many innocent children living in these conditions. My questions are valid. What did Collier county do to protect these children? How long will it be before we find our how devastated Immokalee and the homeless areas of Collier county really are? Collier kept calling them the uninhabitated areas of the county, but they surely know better. They have a health clinic and welfare office out in that uninhabitated area for a reason and it is not for the black bears.

Having the experience of working in the welfare system, I am quite aware of the number of resident aliens and illegals with US born children living in Collier county. The parents are not deported as they are cheap farm labor and the children are US citizens and would have to go into the overburdened foster-care saytem. The children are eligible for welfare and foodstamps but the parents are not, so the parents collect for the children.

In an emergency, we can not forget the poor people just because we are embarassed by them. They are people, these are children, they have as much right to live as the wealthy. I hope Collier county made arrangements for their dirty secret.

 

[Norma]

http://stormedition.naplesnews.com/...s_make_preparations_wilmas_arrival/?wilma2005

"Traffic remained light throughout Collier County and more than 2,000 people waited for the coming storm in emergency shelters opened at nine schools around the county.

 

[poco]

1:00 PM, EST, Pinellas County, Florida (slightly SW of Tampa). Winds are still quite strong, a few trees down and tons of POWER SAWS ringing in the background.....

 

[Buzz Mills]

TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
FLORIDA PENINSULA TODAY.

REPEATING THE 11 AM EDT POSITION...26.9 N... 80.0 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTHEAST NEAR 25 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS...105 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 956 MB.

Hurricane Wilma Position Data
http://tinyurl.com/abukq

Hurricane Wilma Three Day Cone
http://tinyurl.com/9xtwr

******This image illustrates Wilma moving acrosss Forida**********
Satellite Image (have patience)
http://tinyurl.com/6fmsy

Tropical Storm Alpha Three Day Cone
http://tinyurl.com/bfjvl

Category Two Hurricane: (Winds 96-110 mph)

 

[Buzz Mills]

******This image illustrates Wilma moving acrosss Forida**********
Satellite Image (have patience)
http://tinyurl.com/6fmsy

 

[poco]

Geez, just cut a path right across Florida.

Millions without power now. Supposedly it is out in the Atlantic now and we still here on the WEST coast have tremendously high winds --

http://articles.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20051016090009990007&ncid=NWS00010000000001

 

[Buzz Mills]

Hurricanes in Florida Since August 2004

Name: Charley
Landfall: Aug. 13, Cayo Costa
Maximum wind: 150 mph
(Category 4)
Fatalities: 35

Name: Frances
Landfall: Sept. 5, Sewall's Point
Wind speed: 105 mph (Category 2)
Fatalities: 40

Name: Ivan
Landfall: Sept. 16, Gulf Shores, Ala.
Wind speed: 130 mph (Category 3)
Fatalities: 29

Name: Jeanne
Landfall: Sept. 26, Hutchinson Island
Wind speed: 121 mph (Category 3)
Fatalities: 19

2005:

Name: Dennis
Landfall: July 10, between Navarre Beach and Pensacola Beach
Wind speed: 120 mph (Category 3)
Fatalities: 12

Name: Katrina
Landfall: Aug. 25
between Hallandale Beach and
North Miami Beach
Wind speed: 80 mph (Category 1)
Fatalities: 14

Name: Rita
(Eye passed south of Keys Sept. 20)
Wind speed: 100 mph (Category 2)
Fatalities: None reported in Florida

Name: Wilma
Landfall: Oct. 24, Cape Romano
Wind speed: 125 mph (Category 3)

 

[reportertype]

The wind has finally let up. We made it through unscathed, just some power flickerings.

 

[eve]

Thanks for the updates! Hope everone is ok! My 2 brothers, sister in law and niece and nephew are in Sarasota, as well as my parents' winter place! I have been worried. Anyone in Sarasota?

Eve

 

[Lesleegp]

The wind has finally let up. We made it through unscathed, just some power flickerings.

When I first read this, I thought it said "flower picking"........lol......crazy mind! Sorry!

 

[reportertype]

I'm in southern Sarasota County and all I've heard about as far as the city are some power outages and one house that was damaged by a tree.

 

[lilpony]

My co-workers, brother and sister in law are in Cancun. Have been there over 2 weeks now. They have a timeshare there, they were hoping for a nice restful vacation. And they got stuck in the hurricane. My co-worker told me today, that her SIL emailed her neice, a goodbye letter. And told her to tell everyone that she might not make it home, and to tell everyone she loved them. She was that scared! I guess she was scared sh*tless. I know I would have been scared to death also.