Aw, no, here comes Wilma...
 

Last I heard yesterday Wilma was upgraded to a Cat 1 Hurricane. I woke up this morning to hear it's a CAT 5??? with the lowest recorded pressure ever. They say it's headed to Florida. Good grief. My thoughts and prayers are with you all in the Sunshine State, or wherever this thing ends up.

Wishing all the best for our Fodorites in Wilma's path. You will certainly be in our thoughts and prayers. Please check back with us when it's over to let us know you are OK.

BTW, what the heck is going on? (that's a rhetorical question) It blows my mind that we have had so many storms this year. Wilma is the last of the named storms. If another storm occurs they will start using letters from the Greek alphabet. So God forbid, if there's another one this year it will be called Hurricane Alpha.

To the hurricane gods--ENOUGH ALREADY!!!!

P_M, we have had years of many storms (not quite this many) but those storms blew out to sea and no one paid any attention.

I hope Wilma scoots around Cuba, Florida, and heads out to sea.

Fortunately, the southern Atlantic is starting to cool down which will help kill the intensity of the hurricane.

Living in hurricane prone areas, you do know that hurricane season is from June 1 through December 1st. It used to crack me up that people would say the season is only August and September.

My thoughts and prayers are with everyone on the Gulf Coast and especially Florida...once again. This is crazy....what a season. I agree, enough already. :(

It will probably not hit as a cat 5 and it's not as large as Rita or Katrina but just heard they are evacuating the Keys.

That is evacution for non-residents.

Some are reporting that it's looking like it could be even more powerful. Poor Jeb Bush was heard to ask "why us?" The only answer, Governor, has to do with geography and climate, nothing else. Here are good thoughts for all our friends (and my relatives) in Florida, that maybe it will have one of those sudden depletions of power just before landfall. And everyone, get ready to dig back into those compassionate pockets -- just because some areas are the most recent victims doesn't mean they are less deserving.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts--this one scares me cuz the "cone" is almost the whole state of Fla. We have tickets for Thurs nite to see Neil Diamond in Tampa and spend the nite there. We are going ahead with our plans and just leave really early Friday morning to come back to Sarasota.

On Friday we will batten down the hatches and if we are evacuated we are just going to go to friends that are a bit more inland.

Last year Charley did sooo much damage all over the place I mean Arcadia is no where near the coast, so crazy to drive all over the place. But we do need to get off the Island.

Again, thanks for your thot's and prayers, we appreciate you all.

...I think I may be out of the way here north of Orlando, but you never know...Patrick, I hope it turns prior to coming that way !! Be safe all !

My thoughts are with all of you in the cone of uncertainty. My wish is for the storm to die at sea and avoid all populated areas.

Though Katrina and Rita did a lot of damage to the US, Stan caused a lot of damage in Central America.

If some super smart weather person could come up with a way to channel hurricanes away from land, I'd nominate him/her for a Nobel prize.

Good luck and fingers crossed for everyone along the Gulf. When I saw the news this morning, I couldn't believe it.

Just out of curiousity, I then googled the phrase "another f***ing hurricane" and got 1300 hits.

My mother and father are in Cudjoe Key right now and I can't contact them.

They went down for Fantasy Fest so I hope they are paying attention.

They don't live there full time but part time so they aren't technically being evacuated.

Guess it's a 'wait & see' on my Conference in Orlando next week. These things have already postponed my trip to New Orleans, I guess I should start looking at Canada for my trips going forward. Hopefully it just stays out to sea...

GT- They've called for a mandatory evacuation for all NON-residents of the Florida Keys...so hope they got the word. I thought they stayed farther up the chain around Islamorada. Anyway...good luck. Have friends here in Tampa Bay area that were going to Fantasy Fest as well.

Now we all have to batten down!!!
So tired of this season and wish it were over. :(

I'm supposed to leave for Miami on Thursday night. My conference starts on Sunday. do you know.....the conference organizers have not even sent out an advisory to attendees? Well, I'll wait it out a bit as hurricanes are erratic and the path could change.

The size of this storm is horrifying! I hope everyone gets out and stays safe way before this gets any closer.
My daughter in Jax has friends in Miami (whose home is still damaged from the 1st storm this year) who will most likely be staying with her..
I do hope it skips Florida somehow.
Tampa, stay safe!!!
Let me know if you want to move to Portland, they promised me No Hurricanes ~

and we as a nation continue to ignore the effects of global warming..sigh

Uh oh, looks like the projected path is veering more northward -- anyone in the Sarasota/Bradenton area want to check in and tell us what they're telling you? My mother's in a wheelchair in a retirement home in Sarasota and I'm beginning to wonder if I need to hightail it down there and get her out.

highbay, my dad recently bought a place on Cudjoe Key. I have no idea why. My mother refuses to turn on her cell phone and no one is answering my dads.

I'll be PISSED if I find out they are dilly dallying in Key West for Fantasy Fest.

Good gawd is it just mine or do parents revert to 21 years old?

Melissa, don't wait and see, take action first. Call the airlines, call the hotel.

Cassandra--sorry no new news, they did say that Sarasota County is calling 1500 special need people to see if they need help. But right now too soon
to determine which way it will turn.

I think most retirement homes have excellant emergency plans in place, but you might want to call them just to be sure..

GoTravel, without going into details: no, not just yours! My 78-years-old dad behaves like a 14-year-old.

I hope this will be the last scare of the season!

Hi

We just flew down from Maryland on a great Airtran non-stop and landed in Sarasota at 10:30 this morning.

What a surprise to get here on Longboat Key and learn that Wilma is now a Cat 5 and we may be evacuating on Friday. It's overcast here and we had a bit of rain but so far it's pleasant as usual. Most neighbors have made reservations at motel/hotels off the island in anticipation. Since there's no rain or wind right now I think maybe I better get my beach walk in now.

Say lots of prayers folks Florida is going to need them. Let's just hope that monster fizzles out when it gets to the Yucatan peninsula.

I hope, I hope, I hope

Amen, big time beast on the way.

Buen viaje.

M

Finally! I just talked to them and THEY HAD NO IDEA THE KEYS WERE BEING EVACUATED!!!

Argh! They are making me crazy.

I called my mother in central Florida and bugged her to make sure she filled up her gas tank and had important papers handy, etc., in case the storm makes an unexpected jag and she needs to leave. It's the first hurricane she'll have to go through alone since my father died last year (my brother was there with her for Ivan and Jeanne). What worries me about this hurricane (among many things) is that they don't think it will lose any strength while it crosses the state. If it comes ashore as far north as Sarasota, it could still hit inland central Florida hard. And being on the north side puts my mother's community at a bigger risk for tornadoes.
Ugh.

Am in S Naples on the Gulf. Weather is great right now. Long lines at gas stations, Publix wasn't bad. Not many snowbirds here yet which is good. Have reservations at a hotel near Orlando if need be and know what "stuff" we're throwing in our van if we have to leave and we're getting that ready. Sure hope she goes away quietly.

Our daughter in Key West is heading to our house about 30 miles east of Ft. Myers tomorrow. She has lived there 27 years and has stayed for most hurricanes, but not this one. She says even a glancing blow could cause major damage to Key West. We are expecting our son & Daughter in South Ft. Myers to head to our house as soon as our oldest gets in from Atlanta where she works.
I went shopping at our local WalMart this morning and it was mobbed! Very unusual for a Wednesday a.m. Gas stations had very long lines and some were out of the low price gas. We are about as ready as we can get. Just hope and pray that NO one gets hit hard by Wilma. It's been a very long hurricane season and it ain't over yet :(

...what scares me is that each of the last few have been on the list of the "most powerful ever"..what will they be like next year and after...yikes....I am doing canning for X-mas over the next few days...I hope I don't get stuck and have to eat it all to survive :-)

BTilke, the hurricane is expected to be a two or three at most when it hits Florida's mainland. It cannot sustain this intensity for very long.

http://hurricane.accuweather.com/hur...imagetype=move

Here in Orlando they are making sure there are enough hotel rooms for evacuees and might open some shelters but if Wilma pulls a Charlie like last year we are all in trouble. Charlie came across the state a Cat 2 and tore the city up.

GT- So glad you got in touch with them. Are they making arrangements to get out? I can't imagine waiting very long to make a move since we know what traffic is like on US1 during normal circumstances.

PS-Cudjoe's not all bad :D

highbay, no! They are moving at the speed of smell!

I can't get in touch with my sister either.

Crap.

GT:

UUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!
Keep us posted.

Hi LN, I have a niece on LongBoatKey!
This hurricane season is a nightmare.
My prayers go to everyone in Florida.

Cassandra, couldn't hurt to call the retirement home to find out what the plan is. At this point, it's still too early to tell where Wilma's going to make landfall. Also, Sarasota county's website has some good info:

http://www.scgov.net/Content/Content...692B2=A4969D7A

Hi y'all. One thing's for sure: nothing's for sure. That storm could go anywhere from north to east, I suspect; and could stay a high cat4 or blow itself out to a 2 or less.

And I feel for the people in Taunton, Mass., but there's something bizarre about the weather channel telling people in New England to have a "heads up" re: Wilma later next week. So much can happen between now and then, and they already have so much to worry about.

Have talked to my mother, who managed to go get her meds stocked up but didn't think about filling the car (not that she's likely to go anywhere, but you never know how long it will take stations to get their supply back). And the family phone network included a call to the residence management. They have a detailed plan, including 3 days of food and a generator (they are designated hurricane shelter for the proximate area). But who knows just how efficient they will actually be (i.e., do they have enough fuel for several days on the generator?)? They say they have an evacuation plan, but they clearly don't have anything but a couple of small vans and a couple of company cars. Just have to hope they take the lessons of Katrina and Rita seriously and carefully -- and that things will turn out to be a small drama, not a big catastrophe.

So it's just watchful waiting. I'm traveling tomorrow myself tomorrow -- thank god for cellphones.

So thanks all, and dsquared for the website.

this is all too unbelievable. Maybe if we all put out collective stop hurricane thoughts at the same time...but no, that's just wishful thinking.
Good luck to everyone in Florida and also to the poor Cubans and Yucatan Peninsulans in Wilma's path.

I've got a deadline next week and I might get a reprieve, thanks to Wilma. Thank you, Wilma. Now will you get the hell outtatown.

We always say the Indians knew what they were doing when they settled in Tampa, high ground, away from the big blow (it is actually 15 feet above sea level where I am in South Tampa). Of course we thought we wrangled the last election too. Did Jeb really say, "why us?"? That's what we said when he was elected. What a coincidence.

Right now I think we should all be thinking about Cancun. They will be w/o beaches when Wilma passes on. They are getting clobbered.

I have a paid one week rental on the Gulf on Longboat Key in three weeks so I'm a little concerned about that. My sister lives in Key West and won't leave so I'm cncerned about that. But most of all, I'm ticked off that I live in North Central Florida (Gainesville area) and I decided not to buy a generator thinking it was all over for this year!!!