Florida prepares for hurricane

2005-10-21 07:54

Key West - Hurricane Wilma's march toward Florida slowed somewhat, giving residents an unexpected extra day to prepare for the storm, while authorities stockpiled emergency supplies.

Forecasters at the National Hurricane Centre said on Thursday that Wilma would likely strike Florida's western coast sometime late on Sunday, more than a day later than previously thought.

Max Mayfield, director of the centre, said the slowdown would likely weaken the storm from a Category 4, with sustained 241km/h winds, to a Category 3 or less before making landfall in the United States.

"The timing is certainly working in our favour," Mayfield said. But he added that Wilma probably would still be a strong hurricane with a powerful storm surge when it reached the state. Category 3 storms have winds of 179km/h to 209km/h.

State of emergency

Governor Jeb Bush declared a state of emergency to ensure that necessary supplies and disaster response teams were in place.

"This is the time to prepare," Bush told reporters in Tallahassee.

The storm was predicted to make a turn to the northeast toward Florida after striking Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula in the western Caribbean Sea.

Mayfield said Wilma is unusually large and could cause widespread damage.

"Don't just focus on the eye of the hurricane," Mayfield said.

State meteorologist Ben Nelson warned that Wilma could produce a storm surge of 3.6 to 5.1m.

The storm had strengthened slightly, and forecasters said it could regain Category 5 strength winds of 251km/h or more.

Although Wilma was expected to approach from the west, forecasters warned that major Atlantic Coast cities including Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach could be hit by strong winds and heavy rains.

Bush said the state had food, water, ice and other supplies ready, as well as disaster-response teams that included up to 7 500 National Guard members. "We are battle-tested, well-resourced, well-trained," he said.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency was positioning emergency materials in Jacksonville, Lakeland and Homestead.

"We are ready for the storm, as much as you can be," Paulison said in Washington.

The governor urged people not to hoard gasoline, which frequently causes long lines at gas stations and some to run out of fuel.

In the low-lying, vulnerable Keys, a mandatory evacuation of residents was expected to start on Friday.

- AP