Hurricane Wilma - Storm Upgraded

[Buzz Mills]

I feel very sorry for the people on the Yucatan Peninsula, Wilma is going to very slowly grind across the end of the Peninsula. The devastation is going to be terrible. This graph illustrates how long Wilma is going to be there.

Five Day Cone--The Yucatan Peninsula
http://tinyurl.com/exear

 

[Buzz Mills]

HURRICANE WILMA ADVISORY NUMBER 23
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
10 PM CDT THU OCT 20 2005

...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR WILMA MOVING SLOWLY TOWARD
COZUMEL AND BECOMING BETTER ORGANIZED...

A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SAN FELIPE TO CHETUMAL ON
THE YUCATAN PENINSULA...INCLUDING COZUMEL AND THE NEARBY ISLANDS.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH REMAIN IN EFFECT FROM
WEST OF SAN FELIPE TO CELESTUN.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR BELIZE FROM THE
BORDER WITH MEXICO SOUTHWARD TO BELIZE CITY.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE PROVINCES OF LA
HABANA...CIUDAD DE LA HABANA...PINAR DEL RIO...AND THE ISLE OF
YOUTH. A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT IN CUBA FOR THE
PROVINCES OF MATANZAS WESTWARD THROUGH PINAR DEL RIO...AND FOR THE
ISLE OF YOUTH.

AT 10 PM CDT...0300Z...THE GOVERNMENT OF HONDURAS HAS DISCONTINUED
THE HURRICANE WARNING FOR SWAN ISLAND AND THE TROPICAL STORM
WARNING FOR THE COAST OF HONDURAS.

ALL INTERESTS IN THE FLORIDA KEYS AND THE FLORIDA PENINSULA SHOULD
CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE WILMA.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 10 PM CDT...0300Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 19.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 86.0 WEST OR ABOUT 100
MILES... 165 KM...SOUTHEAST OF COZUMEL MEXICO.

WILMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 6 MPH... 9 KM/HR...AND A
SLOW NORTHWESTWARD TO NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED TO
CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER
OF WILMA WILL BE VERY NEAR COZUMEL AND THE NORTHEASTERN COAST OF
THE YUCATAN PENINSULA BY MIDDAY TOMORROW. HOWEVER...WILMA HAS A
LARGE CIRCULATION AND HURRICANE CONDITIONS WILL BE FELT WELL BEFORE
THE ARRIVAL OF THE CENTER.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 150 MPH...240 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. WILMA IS A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
SCALE. SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATES THAT WILMA IS GRADUALLY
BECOMING BETTER ORGANIZED...AND THE HURRICANE COULD REGAIN CATEGORY
FIVE STRENGTH AS IT APPROACHES THE YUCATAN TONIGHT OR FRIDAY.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 85 MILES...140 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 200 MILES...325 KM. NOAA BUOY 42056 RECENTLY REPORTED SUSTAINED
WINDS OF 77 MPH... 124 KM/HR...WITH A GUST TO 87 MPH... 140 KM/HR.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 923 MB...27.26 INCHES.

COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 7-11 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE
LEVELS...ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE
EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL ON
THE YUCATAN PENINSULA.

WILMA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE 10 TO 20 INCHES OF RAIN THROUGH
SATURDAY ACROSS PORTIONS OF WESTERN CUBA AND THE YUCATAN
PENINSULA...WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 40 INCHES POSSIBLE...
PARTICULARLY OVER HIGHER TERRAIN OF WESTERN CUBA. OUTER RAINBANDS
WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN FLORIDA...ESPECIALLY
THE KEYS...WITH SOME 1 TO 3 INCH RAINS POSSIBLE THROUGH SATURDAY.

NOAA BUOY 42003 IN THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO INDICATES THAT LARGE
SWELLS GENERATED BY WILMA HAVE PROPAGATED WELL INTO THE EASTERN
GULF OF MEXICO. THESE SWELLS WILL LIKELY AFFECT PORTIONS OF THE
NORTHERN GULF COAST ON FRIDAY.

REPEATING THE 10 PM CDT POSITION...19.3 N... 86.0 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR 6 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS...150 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 923 MB.

AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
HURRICANE CENTER AT 1 AM CDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT
COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 4 AM CDT.

FORECASTER BEVEN

Five Day Cone--The Yucatan Peninsula
http://tinyurl.com/exear

Satellite Image (have patience)
http://tinyurl.com/6fmsy

 

[Buzz Mills]

Tourists Flee Cancun As Wilma Grows, Nears

CANCUN, Mexico - Tourists packed Cancun's airport and shuttled from luxury hotels to spartan emergency shelters Thursday, desperately trying to escape Hurricane Wilma as its outer bands battered the resort's white-sand beaches. Cuba evacuated more than 200,000 people.

Wilma, a Category 4 storm with winds of 150 mph, churned toward the Yucatan peninsula and south Florida after brushing by Haiti and Jamaica, where its winds and rains killed at least 13 people. Forecasters said late Thursday that the storm was expected to make a direct hit on the vacation isle of Cozumel Friday, then slam Cancun and sideswipe Cuba. "As it hits the Yucatan peninsula, it has the potential to do catastrophic damage," said Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

http://tinyurl.com/doftg

 

[Buzz Mills]

WILMA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE 10 TO 20 INCHES OF RAIN THROUGH
SATURDAY ACROSS PORTIONS OF WESTERN CUBA AND THE YUCATAN
PENINSULA...WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 40 INCHES POSSIBLE...
PARTICULARLY OVER HIGHER TERRAIN OF WESTERN CUBA. OUTER RAINBANDS
WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN FLORIDA...ESPECIALLY
THE KEYS...WITH SOME 1 TO 3 INCH RAINS POSSIBLE THROUGH SATURDAY.

NOAA BUOY 42003 IN THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO INDICATES THAT LARGE
SWELLS GENERATED BY WILMA HAVE PROPAGATED WELL INTO THE EASTERN
GULF OF MEXICO. THESE SWELLS WILL LIKELY AFFECT PORTIONS OF THE
NORTHERN GULF COAST ON FRIDAY. DATA FROM CUBA INDICATE THAT WAVES UP
TO 20 FEET ARE BEING EXPERIENCED IN PORTIONS OF THE SOUTH COAST OF
THE ISLE OF YOUTH.

REPEATING THE 1 AM CDT POSITION...19.5 N... 86.1 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR 6 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...150 MPH.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 930 MB.

Five Day Cone--The Yucatan Peninsula
http://tinyurl.com/exear

Satellite Image (have patience)
http://tinyurl.com/6fmsy

 

[Buzz Mills]

Wilma is expected to strengthen to a Category Five tomorrow, just prior to making landfall on the Yucatan Pensinsula. Those poor people there; Cancun, and Cozumel, are going to take a direct hit. The damage is going to be horrendous.

 

[Beyond Belief]

5 a.m. Friday

WTNT44 KNHC 210842
TCDAT4
HURRICANE WILMA DISCUSSION NUMBER 24
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
5 AM EDT FRI OCT 21 2005

WILMA IS BEING TRACKED BY THE CANCUN RADAR...NOAA BUOY 42056...AND
BY AN AIR FORCE RECONNAISSANCE PLANE. IN ADDITION...SATELLITE
IMAGES INDICATE THAT THE CLOUD PATTERN IS BETTER DEFINED WITH A
RING OF VERY DEEP CONVECTION SURROUNDING A LARGE EYE. THE
RECONNAISSANCE PLANE WAS IN THE EYE AND MEASURED A MINIMUM PRESSURE
OF 929 MB AND SO FAR...THE MAXIMUM FLIGHT LEVEL WINDS AT 700 MB ARE
130 KNOTS. THIS DOES NOT JUSTIFY AN INITIAL INTENSITY OF 130 KNOTS
BUT IT IS ASSUMED THAT SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE EYEWALL THESE WINDS ARE
OCCURRING AND HAVE NOT BEEN SAMPLED BY THE AIRCRAFT YET. SINCE THE
EYE IS BECOMING MORE DISTINCT AND IS SHRINKING...SOME
INTENSIFICATION IS POSSIBLE BEFORE LANDFALL. THEREAFTER...THE
EFFECTS OF LAND AND INCREASING WIND SHEAR WILL CAUSE WILMA TO
GRADUALLY WEAKEN.

WILMA IS CURRENTLY MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST AT 5 KNOTS.
BECAUSE STEERING CURRENTS ARE FORECAST TO BE WEAK...TRACK MODELS
MOVE WILMA SLOWLY AND IN ALL DIRECTIONS DURING 24 TO 36 HOUR
PERIOD...MAKING THIS PORTION OF THE FORECAST HIGHLY UNCERTAIN.
NEVERTHERLESS...THIS PATTERN CALLS FOR LITTLE OR ERRATIC MOTION
OVER NORTHEASTERN YUCATAN OR THE ADJACENT WATERS UNTIL THE
WESTERLIES EXPAND SOUTHWARD AND CARRY WILMA TOWARD THE NORTHEAST
BEYOND 2 TO 3 DAYS. THIS SLOW MOTION SHOULD CONTINUE TO DELAY THE
RECURVATURE TOWARD FLORIDA PROLONGING THE AGONIZING WAIT. ON THE
OTHER HAND...IT GIVES TIME FOR THE HURRICANE TO WEAKEN DUE TO THE
EFFECTS OF LAND AND SHEAR. IN FACT...THE GFDL MODEL REFLECTS THE
SLOW MOTION AND HAS A WEAKENED WILMA JUST WEST OF HAVANA CUBA
BETWEEN DAYS 4 AND 5. HOWEVER...IF THE EYE REMAINS OFFSHORE EAST OF
YUCATAN LIKE SUGGESTED BY THE LAST RUN OF THE UK MODEL...WILMA
COULD BE STRONGER THAN INDICATED.

HAVING SAID ALL THAT...THERE IS PRACTICALLY NO CHANGE FROM THE
PREVIOUS ADVISORY WITH THE SHORT TERM FORECAST BE MORE UNCERTAIN
THAN USUAL.

FORECASTER AVILA

 

[Buzz Mills]

WILMA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE 10 TO 20 INCHES OF RAIN THROUGH
SUNDAY ACROSS PORTIONS OF WESTERN CUBA AND THE YUCATAN PENINSULA...
WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 40 INCHES POSSIBLE...PARTICULARLY OVER
HIGHER TERRAIN OF WESTERN CUBA. OUTER RAINBANDS WILL CONTINUE TO
AFFECT PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN FLORIDA...ESPECIALLY THE KEYS...WITH
SOME 2 TO 4 INCH RAINS POSSIBLE THROUGH SUNDAY.

NOAA BUOY 42003 IN THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO INDICATES THAT LARGE
SWELLS GENERATED BY WILMA HAVE PROPAGATED WELL INTO THE EASTERN
GULF OF MEXICO. THESE SWELLS WILL LIKELY AFFECT PORTIONS OF THE
NORTHERN GULF COAST ON FRIDAY.

REPEATING THE 4 AM CDT POSITION...20.0 N... 86.2 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 6 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...150
MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 929 MB.

Five Day Cone--The Yucatan Peninsula
http://tinyurl.com/exear

Satellite Image (have patience)
http://tinyurl.com/6fmsy

 

[Buzz Mills]

Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, said the storm "has the potential to do catastrophic damage." At 8 a.m. EDT, the wind diminished to 145 mph from 150 mph, U.S. storm trackers said. Its slow-moving, wobbly center was roughly 50 miles southeast of Cozumel. The hurricane was moving toward the northwest at 6 mph, which was expected to bring the eye to shore by midday.

With 145 mph wind, Wilma was still more powerful than Hurricane Katrina when that storm plowed into the U.S. Gulf Coast on Aug. 29, killing more than 1,200 people. Forecasters said the storm could strengthen to a Category 5 hurricane before hitting land. Its slow progress delayed its expected arrival in Florida until Monday, but fueled fears that it would have more time to dump rain and pummel the low-lying Mayan Riviera, possibly causing major damage. The hurricane was expected to churn over Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula for most of the weekend.

The hurricane's eye was so large it might take hours to pass over land, leading to fears that confused residents might leave shelters in the calm of the middle of the storm.

Five Day Cone--The Yucatan Peninsula
http://tinyurl.com/exear

Satellite Image (have patience)
http://tinyurl.com/6fmsy

 

[Beyond Belief]

This is not fun!

 

[Buzz Mills]

This is not fun!

Can you imagine being on Cozumel right now?? The Hurricane force winds extend out 85 miles, which means that, with it moving at 6 mph., they will experience winds from 75-150 mph. for 28 hours straight, and at least tropical storm winds over 35 mph. for up to 60 hours. That is completely unimagineable to have to endure something like that. Cozumel, and Cancun, both, are going to be devastated. No tourism for a long time.

 

[Shadow205]

I am praying for all of the people in the Yucatan. I have spent some great times in that area. I was monitoring chatter on a couple of Cancun/Playa Del Carmen/Cozumel forums. I am afraid that a lot of people did not take Wilma serious enough. To ride out a cat. 1 is one thing but to ride out a strong cat. 4 on an island is crazy! I am afraid that it is going to cost lives. Here is the house that has many great memories for us in Playa DelCarmen.

It is ocean front. Hope it is still there.

 

[Buzz Mills]

I am praying for all of the people in the Yucatan. I have spent some great times in that area. I was monitoring chatter on a couple of Cancun/Playa Del Carmen/Cozumel forums. I am afraid that a lot of people did not take Wilma serious enough. To ride out a cat. 1 is one thing but to ride out a strong cat. 4 on an island is crazy! I am afraid that it is going to cost lives. Here is the house that has many great memories for us in Playa DelCarmen.

It is ocean front. Hope it is still there.

Cozumel is taking a direct hit. If those people who remained, some of which are tourists, who tried, but couldn't get off the island, live to tell about it they will be very, very, lucky. Wilma is stronger than Katrina, and moving very slow, which means the damage is going to be unbelieveable.

 

[Buzz Mills]

HURRICANE WILMA ADVISORY NUMBER 25
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
10 AM CDT FRI OCT 21 2005

...NORTHWESTERN EYEWALL OVER COZUMEL...
...CENTER COULD MAKE LANDFALL ON NORTHEASTERN YUCATAN TONIGHT...

A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SAN FELIPE TO CHETUMAL ON
THE YUCATAN PENINSULA...INCLUDING COZUMEL AND THE NEARBY ISLANDS.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH REMAIN IN EFFECT FROM
WEST OF SAN FELIPE TO CELESTUN.

AT 10 AM CDT...1500Z...THE GOVERNMENT OF BELIZE HAS DISCONTINUED THE
TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR BELIZE FROM THE BORDER WITH MEXICO
SOUTHWARD TO BELIZE CITY.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE PROVINCES OF LA
HABANA...CIUDAD DE LA HABANA...PINAR DEL RIO...AND THE ISLE OF
YOUTH. A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT IN CUBA FOR THE
PROVINCES OF MATANZAS WESTWARD THROUGH PINAR DEL RIO...AND FOR THE
ISLE OF YOUTH.

ALL INTERESTS IN THE FLORIDA KEYS AND THE FLORIDA PENINSULA SHOULD
CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE WILMA.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 10 AM CDT...1500Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 20.2 NORTH... LONGITUDE 86.5 WEST OR ABOUT 35
MILES... 55 KM... SOUTHEAST OF COZUMEL MEXICO.

WILMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 5 MPH... 7 KM/HR. ON THIS
TRACK... THE CORE OF WILMA WILL BE OVER COZUMEL DURING THE NEXT
SEVERAL HOURS AND BE NEAR THE NORTHEASTERN COAST OF THE YUCATAN
PENINSULA LATER TODAY OR TONIGHT. HOWEVER... WILMA HAS A LARGE
CIRCULATION AND HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE PROBABLY ALREADY BEING
EXPERIENCED IN ALONG PORTIONS OF THE NORTHEASTERN COAST OF YUCATAN.
CANCUN RADAR CONTINUES TO SHOW STRONG RAINBANDS OVER COZUMEL AND
CANCUN.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 145 MPH... 230 KM/HR... WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. WILMA IS A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE POSSIBLE BEFORE WILMA
MAKES LANDFALL ON THE NORTHEASTERN COAST OF THE YUCATAN PENINSULA.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 85 MILES... 140 KM...
FROM THE CENTER... AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 200 MILES... 325 KM. NOAA BUOY 42056 RECENTLY REPORTED SUSTAINED
WINDS OF 62 MPH... 100 KM/HR... AND 31 FOOT SEAS.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 930 MB...27.46 INCHES.

COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 7 TO 11 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE
LEVELS... ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES... CAN BE
EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF THE CENTER ALONG ON THE
NORTHEASTERN YUCATAN PENINSULA.

WILMA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE 10 TO 20 INCHES OF RAIN THROUGH
SUNDAY ACROSS PORTIONS OF WESTERN CUBA AND THE YUCATAN PENINSULA...
WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 40 INCHES POSSIBLE. OUTER RAINBANDS WILL
CONTINUE TO AFFECT PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN FLORIDA... ESPECIALLY THE
KEYS... WITH SOME 2 TO 4 INCH RAINS POSSIBLE THROUGH SUNDAY.

NOAA BUOY 42003 IN THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO INDICATES THAT LARGE
SWELLS GENERATED BY WILMA HAVE PROPAGATED WELL INTO THE EASTERN
GULF OF MEXICO. THESE SWELLS WILL LIKELY AFFECT PORTIONS OF THE
NORTHERN GULF COAST TODAY.

REPEATING THE 10 AM CDT POSITION...20.2 N... 86.5 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR 5 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS...145 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 930 MB.

AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER AT 1 PM CDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 4 PM
CDT.

Five Day Cone--The Yucatan Peninsula
http://tinyurl.com/exear

Satellite Image (have patience)
http://tinyurl.com/6fmsy

 

[Margie123]

Cozumel is taking a direct hit. If those people who remained, some of which are tourists, who tried, but couldn't get off the island, live to tell about it they will be very, very, lucky. Wilma is stronger than Katrina, and moving very slow, which means the damage is going to be unbelieveable.

Hi guys!

My family and myself (husband, 3 children) made it back yesterday safe and sound. We live in Canada and were 20 minutes outside of Playa Del Carmen, one and a half hours south of Cancun since Sunday. There were 60 of us down there for a family wedding, which was to have taken place yesterday. Obviously, it did not. We got the call from our tour rep Wednesday evening that they wanted us to be in the lobby of our hotel at 5:00 am as were were being evacuated. No choice. Thank God!!

The scary part was that the weather leading up to this was BEAUTIFUL. Perfect, 90 degree weather from Monday to Wednesday. All we saw was a bit of rain (no winds), on our way to the airport Thursday.

For those of you who live in Canada, and watch CTV news, my cousin and his bride were interviewed, as well as myself, coming out of the airport in Toronto.

The poor bride is now scrambling to arrange a wedding here. She had a small reception planned, but is being contacted by ministers, etc., who have offered to marry them for free!

A sad, unexpected ending to a picture perfect vacation, but boy, from what I'm watching now, I'm glad to be out!

 

[Buzz Mills]

WILMA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE 10 TO 20 INCHES OF RAIN THROUGH
SUNDAY ACROSS PORTIONS OF WESTERN CUBA AND THE YUCATAN PENINSULA...
WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 40 INCHES POSSIBLE. OUTER RAINBANDS WILL
CONTINUE TO AFFECT PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN FLORIDA... ESPECIALLY THE
KEYS... WITH SOME 2 TO 4 INCH RAINS POSSIBLE THROUGH SUNDAY.

NOAA BUOY 42003 IN THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO INDICATES THAT LARGE
SWELLS GENERATED BY WILMA HAVE PROPAGATED WELL INTO THE EASTERN
GULF OF MEXICO. THESE SWELLS WILL LIKELY AFFECT PORTIONS OF THE
NORTHERN GULF COAST TODAY.

REPEATING THE 1 PM CDT POSITION...20.4 N... 86.7 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR 5 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS...140 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 926 MB.

Cozumel is in the very center of the eye
http://tinyurl.com/6fmsy

Those poor people on Cozumel

 

[Sassygerl]

Hi guys!

My family and myself (husband, 3 children) made it back yesterday safe and sound. We live in Canada and were 20 minutes outside of Playa Del Carmen, one and a half hours south of Cancun since Sunday. There were 60 of us down there for a family wedding, which was to have taken place yesterday. Obviously, it did not. We got the call from our tour rep Wednesday evening that they wanted us to be in the lobby of our hotel at 5:00 am as were were being evacuated. No choice. Thank God!!

The scary part was that the weather leading up to this was BEAUTIFUL. Perfect, 90 degree weather from Monday to Wednesday. All we saw was a bit of rain (no winds), on our way to the airport Thursday.

For those of you who live in Canada, and watch CTV news, my cousin and his bride were interviewed, as well as myself, coming out of the airport in Toronto.

The poor bride is now scrambling to arrange a wedding here. She had a small reception planned, but is being contacted by ministers, etc., who have offered to marry them for free!

A sad, unexpected ending to a picture perfect vacation, but boy, from what I'm watching now, I'm glad to be out!

Glad you made it out safe!!!! How horrible for the bride.

 

[Buzz Mills]

"It's going to be a long couple of days here for the Yucatan Peninsula," said Max Mayfield, director of the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Wilma's fearsome core, the eyewall whirling about its center, hit the cruise-ship magnet of Cozumel island at mid-morning Friday with sustained winds of about 140 mph. The extent of damage was unclear amid the chaos of wind, water and flying debris. "Tin roofing is flying through the air everywhere. Palm trees are falling down. Signs are in the air and cables are snapping," Julio Torres told The Associated Press by telephone from the Red Cross office in Cozumel. "Not even emergency vehicles have been able to go out on the streets, because the winds are too strong."

The center of the vast storm was projected to stay over the resort-dotted tip of the Yucatan Peninsula until Sunday morning. At the same time, it was pounding the western tip of Cuba, where the government evacuated nearly 370,000 people. Forecasters said Wilma could bring as much as 40 inches of rain in parts of Cuba.

 

[Beyond Belief]

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/tafb_latest/danger_atl_latestBW.gif

 

[Margie123]

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/tafb_latest/danger_atl_latestBW.gif

Will this ever end!!

 

[Dark Knight]

Will this ever end!!

Around Nov. 30 it will.