Keys Evacuated, RSW Closed As Southern Florida Braces For Storm

Hurricane Wilma -- which, barring a sudden and unexpected shift in direction, will be the seventh hurricane to hit Florida in the last 14 months -- is barrelling towards the southwestern coast of the state, and is expected to make landfall around 8 am Monday as a strong Category 2 or 3 storm.

The Florida Keys have been under an evacuation order since Friday, although some hearty souls vowed to weather the storm. Southwest Florida Regional Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers was expected to close Sunday night, and many carriers had already suspended operations. As of Sunday afternoon, few seats were available on commercial flights out of southern Florida -- mostly for First Class fares.

A hurricane warning has been issued for the Florida Keys, as well as for the east coast of the state from Titusville, southward and along the west coast from Longboat Key southward. Preliminary forecasts indicate the storm will hit in the area of Ten Thousand Islands, just south of Marco Island.

The speed of the storm has increased since moving out of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula Sunday, after battering that region will torrential rains and winds in excess of 100 mph. Forecasters are predicting Wilma may have sustained winds as high as 130 mph when it hits Florida, according to Bloomberg News.

The state is expected to begin feeling the effects of the storm by Sunday night, even as the heart of the storm is as much as 200 miles away. Forecasters warn there may also be several tornadoes ahead of the storm, as the hurricane's warm, moist warm air makes contact with the cooler, drier air ahead of the front deflecting the storm towards Florida.

"The most important thing for people to do is follow the advice of local emergency workers," said Ed Rappaport, deputy director at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, in a televised news conference. "We are advising people to prepare for a Category 3."

Florida Governor Jeb Bush has also urged Florida residents to brace for the storm, as well as stating "heavy power outages" are expected in the area between Fort Myers, and the Florida Keys. Emergency officials in Florida advised residents and tourists in the southern part of the state to head north toward Orlando.

New York, Georgia, Mississippi, and Texas have contributed a portion of 24 Blackhawk and 10 Chinook helicopters standing ready for emergency service, Bush said.

Now, we wait...

FMI: www.nws.noaa.gov