2008 Woodie Awards
Hurricane Wilma Hits Mexico and Florida
Hurricane Wilma causes devastation in Mexico before striking southern Florida.
Rochelle Siegel
Issue date: 10/28/05 Section: News
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The National Hurricane Center bases a storm's strength on barometric pressure, not wind speed, and they said that Wilma's pressure dropped to 882 millibars, the lowest minimum pressure ever measured in a hurricane in the Atlantic. Pressure drops as the hurricane gains strength. The previous record was set by Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 at 888 millibars.
Rain pounded Key West in the early hours of Monday morning as Hurricane Wilma sped up toward Florida, threatening residents with 115-mph winds, tornados, and a storm surge of seawater that could flood the Keys and the state's southwest coast. Shortly after midnight, a wind gust of 60-mph was measured in Key West. There was sunshine early Sunday morning in the Keys, and even some boaters out in the water, as did many residents, went about their normal routines. "We were born and raised with storms, so we never leave," a resident of Key West, Ann Ferguson, said while sitting on her front porch. By late Sunday night, shelters in Collier County were quickly filling up with evacuees. Governor Jeb Bush warned residents in the Keys to evacuate.
In Fort Myers Beach, a firefighter shouted into a loud speaker, "Mandatory evacuation, you are hereby ordered to leave your residence by the board of the county commissioners of Lee County, Florida." Governor Bush announced that heavy power outages and flooding were to be expected, and the National Guard was put on alert. State and federal officials had trucks of ice and food ready to hand-out. FEMA was ready also to send in dozens of military helicopters and 13.2 million ready-to-eat meals if needed. Tornados formed in some areas before Wilma even made land-fall. At least four tornados announced the arrival of the powerful Hurricane. One tornado was spotted near Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral. Also, a restaurant was damaged in Cocoa Beach and an orchid nursery was damaged on Merritt Island. Tornados were expected all throughout Monday. At 12 a.m. Monday morning, Wilma was centered about 115 miles west of Key West, 160 miles southwest of Naples, and moving northeast at about 18-mph. Hurricane-force winds of at least 74-mph extended up to 85 miles from the center and wind blowing at tropical storm-force reached outward up to 230 miles.
Wilma marks Florida's eighth hurricane since August 2004, and the fourth evacuation of the Keys this year. Wilma killed at least three people along Mexico's Caribbean coast, where resort hotel lobbies were gutted and three feet of water blocked highways. Then Wilma made her turn towards Florida and began to gain speed. Since the storm was expected to move so quickly across Florida, residents of Atlantic coast cities such as Miami and Fort Lauderdale were likely to face hurricane-force winds nearly as strong as those on the Gulf Coast.
Wilma crashed ashore early Monday morning at about 6:30a.m. near Cape Romano, 22 miles south of Naples in Collier County. As a strong category three Wilma battered southwest Florida with 125-mph winds and pounding waves that threatened flooding in low-lying areas. The Hurricane-force wind of at least 74-mph extended 90 miles from the center, and wind blowing at tropical storm-force reached outward 230 miles, according to the National Hurricane Center. Mexico had to endure howling winds and torrential rain for two days. At least two people were killed in Mexico. Thirteen others died in Jamaica and Haiti, and four bodies were found off Cozumel. The outer bands battered almost the entire state with heavy rains, strong wind gusts and tornados.
Most populated areas on the Gulf Coast experienced widespread flooding, crumpled mobile homes, airborne roofs and countless downed trees. Early damage estimates were at least $2 billion. And seven deaths were reported in the state.
Fort Lauderdale and several other cities ordered residents to boil tap water. In Miami, the winds shattered skyscraper windows, leaving a coating of glass shards along downtown streets.