Another storm heads for US

2005-10-18 07:50

George Town - Authorities urged residents to be on alert as Tropical Storm Wilma's outer edge neared the Cayman Islands, packing strong rain and wind as it cut a path that could threaten Cuba and Florida.

Wilma became the Atlantic hurricane season's 21st named storm before dawn on Monday, tying the record set in 1933 and exhausting the list of storm names. It could strengthen into the year's 12th hurricane by Tuesday. That many hurricanes formed in 1969, the most since record keeping began in 1851.

Wilma was expected to pass southeast of the Cayman Islands, which was badly damaged in Hurricane Ivan last year.

"We're waiting with bated breath to see what will happen," said Brent Santha a vice-president at the water company. "We're hoping and praying it will change direction."

In Jamaica, heavy rainfall from Wilma's outer bands flooded several low-lying communities, blocked roads with mud and forced 100 people into shelters, said Barbara Carby, head of Jamaica's emergency office.

Could become hurricane

A 35-year-old farmer drowned on Sunday in central Jamaica after he was swept away by a rain-swollen river while trying to retrieve some goats that were too close to the banks, police Constable Keisha Scott said.

Forecasters said Wilma could grow into a minimal Category 1 hurricane by Tuesday afternoon.

Computer models initially showed Wilma heading for Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula by Friday, but the forecast track based on the models shifted east by 23:00 on Monday, placing the storm closer to western Cuba than the Yucatan on Friday. The storm was forecast to then turn sharply in the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida over the weekend.

"I think the message is that the season is certainly not over. People in the Gulf Coast are going to have to watch Wilma," said Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Centre in Miami.

"There's no scenario now that takes it toward Louisiana or Mississippi, but that could change," Mayfield said.

The Gulf Coast was already battered this year by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Dennis, while Emily hit Mexico.

At 23:00 on Monday, Wilma had top sustained winds of about 104.5km/h.

A hurricane watch was posted for the Caymans while Honduras posted a tropical storm warning.

The six-month hurricane season ends November 30. Wilma is the last on the list of storm names for 2005; there are 21 names on the yearly list because the letters q, u, x, y and z are skipped. If any other storms form, letters from the Greek alphabet would be used, starting with Alpha. That has never happened in roughly 60 years of regularly named Atlantic storms.

- AP