This article is about a current Hurricane Wilma where information can change quickly or be unreliable. The latest page updates may not reflect the most up-to-date information. Please refer to your local weather service or media outlets for the latest weather information pertaining to a specific ___location. |
This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. |
Hurricane Wilma is the 21st named storm, twelfth hurricane (both record-tying) and sixth major hurricane of the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. It is also the third Category 5 hurricane of the season, beating the records set by the 1960 and 1961 seasons.
At its peak, it was the most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. It also has the lowest atmospheric pressure ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere at 882 millibars (26.05 inHg) (at sea level, outside tornadoes), a record previously held by Hurricane Gilbert. Wilma is the third Category 5 hurricane to develop in October, the other two being Hurricane Mitch of 1998 and Hurricane Hattie of 1961. It is the second 21st storm in any season, and formed nearly a month earlier than the only previous 21st storm (in 1933).
As of Sunday, October 23 Wilma is moving slowly through the Gulf of Mexico. It is expected to threaten western Cuba during the weekend and arrive to southern Florida as a Category 2 or 3 hurricane on Monday, October 24.
| Duration | Oct. 15, 2005 - present |
|---|---|
Storm history
In the second week of October 2005, a large and complex area of low pressure developed over the western Atlantic and eastern Caribbean with several centers of thunderstorm activity. This area of disturbed weather southwest of Jamaica slowly organized into Tropical Depression Twenty-four on October 15.
It reached tropical storm strength at 5 am EDT October 17 (0900 UTC), making it the first storm ever to use the 'W' name since alphabetical naming began in 1950, and tying the record for most storms in a season with 1933. Moving slowly over warm water with little wind shear, it strengthened steadily and became a hurricane on October 18. This made it the 12th hurricane of the season, tying the record set in 1969.
Hurricane Wilma began to intensify rapidly during late afternoon on October 18 around 4 pm EDT. Over a 10 hour period Hurricane Hunter aircraft measured a 78 mbar (2.30 inHg) pressure drop. In a 24-hour period from 8 am EDT October 18 (1200 UTC) to the following morning, the pressure fell 90 mbar (2.65 inHg). In this same 24-hour period, Wilma strengthened from a strong tropical storm with 70 mph (110 km/h) winds to a powerful Category 5 hurricane with 175 mph (280 km/h) winds. (In comparison, Hurricane Gilbert of 1988 - the previous recordholder for lowest Atlantic pressure - recorded a 78 mbar (2.30 inHg) pressure drop in a 24 hour period for a 3 mbar/h pressure drop.) This is a record for the Atlantic basin and is one of the most rapid deepening phases ever undergone by a tropical cyclone anywhere on Earth. The current recordholder is Super Typhoon Forrest in 1983. [1]
Hurricane Wilma becoming a category 5 storm broke the record for the most category 5 storms in one season. Previously in this season, Katrina and Rita were category 5 hurricanes. No previous season has ever had three storms of this strength.
During its intensification on October 19, the eye's diameter shrank to as small as 2 nautical miles (4 km), which may be the smallest eye recorded in a tropical cyclone. [2]
Quickly thereafter, Wilma set a record for the lowest pressure ever recorded in an Atlantic hurricane when its central pressure dropped to 884 mbar (26.10 inHg) at 8 am EDT (1200 UTC) on October 19, then dropped again to 882 mbar (26.045 InHg) three hours later before rising slowly in the afternoon (while remaining a Category 5 hurricane). In addition, at 11 pm EDT that day (0300 UTC October 20), Wilma's pressure dropped again to 894 mbar (26.40 inHg) - as the storm weakened to a Category 4 with winds of 155 mph (250 km/h). Wilma was the first hurricane ever in the Atlantic Basin to have a central pressure below 900 mbar (26.58 inHg) while at Category 4 intensity (in fact, only two other recorded Atlantic hurricanes have ever had lower pressures even at this point).
Note that while Wilma was the most intense hurricane (i.e. a tropical cyclone in Atlantic, Central Pacific or Eastern Pacific) ever recorded, there have been more intense typhoons in the Western Pacific (see link in the next section). Super Typhoon Tip is the most intense tropical cyclone on record at 870 mbar (25.69 inHg).
On October 21, Hurricane Wilma made landfall on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula as a powerful category four hurricane, with winds in excess of 150mph. The hurricane's eye first passed over the island of Cozumel, and then made an official landfall near Playa Del Carmen, Mexico around midnight on October 22 EDT with winds near 140mph. Portions of the island of Cozumel experienced the calm eye of Wilma for several hours with some blue skies and sunshine visible at times. The eye slowly drifted northward, with the center passing just to the west of Cancun, Mexico. Some portions of the Yucatán Peninsula experienced hurricane force winds for well over 24 hours. The hurricane began accelerating in the early morning hours of October 23, exiting the NE tip of the Yucatán Peninsula and entering the Gulf of Mexico.
Current storm information
As of 1 pm CDT October 23 (1800 UTC), the center of Hurricane Wilma was over the Gulf of Mexico near 23°06′N 85°18′W / 23.1°N 85.3°W or about 240 miles (390 km) west-southwest of Key West, Florida and about 300 miles (485 km) southwest of the southwestern coast of the Florida peninsula. Wilma is moving northeastward at 14 mph (22 km/h) and is currently a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (165 km/h). The minimum central pressure has risen to 959 mbar (28.31 inHg). Some restrengthening is forecast during the next 24 hours as Wilma emerges over the Gulf of Mexico, and it is possible that Wilma may regain Category 3 intensity over open water. In addition, the forward speed is expected to increase significantly.
- For information, see the NHC's latest public advisory on Hurricane Wilma
- Hurricane warnings are in effect for:
- the Cuban provinces of Ciudad de la Habana, La Habana, and Pinar del Rio.
- the Florida Keys including the Dry Tortugas and Florida Bay.
- the Florida coasts from Longboat Key southwards on the west and Titusville southward including Lake Okeechobee on the east.
- the northwestern Bahamas including the Abacos, Andros Island, Berry Islands, Bimini, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama and New Providence.
- Inland hurricane warnings for Broward, Charlotte, Collier, De Soto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Lee, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Osceola, Palm Beach and Sarasota counties in southern and east-central Florida.
- Tropical storm warnings are in effect for:
- the Isle of Youth in Cuba.
- the Florida west coast north of Longboat Key to Steinhatchee River
- the Florida east coast from Titusville north to Flagler Beach.
- the Yucatán Peninsula from San Felipe to Tulum
- Inland tropical storm warnings for Citrus, Dixie, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lake, Levy, Manatee, Orange, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Seminole, Sumter and western Volusia counties in central and west-central Florida.
- Tropical storm watches are in effect for:
- the Florida east coast from Flagler Beach north to Fernandina Beach.
- Inland tropical storm watches for Duval, Flagler, Nassau and St. Johns counties in northeast Florida.
Preparations
Quintana Roo government officials declared a red alert on the evening of Wednesday, October 19. Classes have been suspended in the state's northern municipalities and residents of coastal areas have been advised to take refuge further inland; tourists in the resort city of Cancún and its adjacent islands have been told to return to their places of origin or head inland. In neighboring Yucatán, classes have also been suspended in 18 coastal municipalities and preparations are underway for a possible evacuation of threatened areas. [3]
In Nicaragua, civil organizations have been ordered to make hurricane preparations.
In El Salvador, the National Emergency Committee has been activated.
In Cuba, there are preparations to evacuate four western provinces, including the Isle of Youth [4]. In all, over 368,000 people were ordered to evacuate. [5].
A mandatory evacuation of residents is in effect for the Florida Keys in Monroe County. County offices, schools and courts will be closed Monday. About 300 Keys evacuees are being housed at the Monroe County shelter at Florida International University in Miami-Dade County [6].
Also in Florida, all Collier County public schools were declared closed for Friday, October 21. The schools were closed to "allow parents and staff to prepare for the storm and potential evacuation. The closings will also allow for needed preparation of schools to be used as hurricane shelters." [7]
Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers has completed an evacuation; classes have been canceled until further notice. Eckerd College in St. Petersburg has finished an evacuation, which was scheduled to end by 5 pm EDT on October 20. All campuses of the University of South Florida are closed on Monday, October 24. The University of Tampa will be closed on that date.
Several college and professional sports teams have altered their game schedules in order to prepare for the storm. The NFL game between the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs originally scheduled for Sunday, October 23 was rescheduled for Friday, October 21. Additionally, the NHL rescheduled the Florida Panthers' Saturday, October 22 matchup against the Ottawa Senators for December 5. The University of Central Florida moved up its football game to October 21, and the University of South Florida, which was supposed to play its homecoming game against West Virginia University on October 22, will instead play the game on December 3 as decreed by the Big East Conference.
Mandatory evacuations are in effect for all Collier County residents living West or South of US 41. Other areas included in the mandatory evacuation are Seagate, Parkshore, The Moorings, Coquina Sands, Olde Naples, Aqualane Shores, Port Royal and Royal Harbour. Hurricane shelters in the area are planned to open Sunday, October 23 at 8 am. [8]
Impact
Death toll
| Country | Total | Region | State total |
Direct deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haiti | 12 | 12 | ||
| Jamaica | 1 | 1 | ||
| Mexico | 8 | Quintana Roo | 7 | 5 |
| Yucatán | 1 | 1 | ||
| Totals | 21 | 19 | ||
| Because of differing sources, totals may not match. | ||||
Some preliminary information is already starting to come in from the first affected areas. Mudslides have been triggered from the outer bands in Haiti, killing at least 12 people. [9]
Wilma claimed one death in Jamaica as a tropical depression on Sunday, October 16. It pounded the island for a third day on October 18, 2005, flooding several low-lying communities and triggering mudslides that blocked roads and damaged several homes. [10] Almost 250 people are in emergency shelters on the island. [11]
Eight deaths have been reported in Mexico. Two were in the Playa del Carmen area due to a gas explosion caused by the strong winds. Four deaths have also been reported in Cozumel and another in Cancún due to wind blowing a window out. Another death was reported in the state of Yucatán due to a falling tree, but no other details were available. [12]
Mexico
Information on damage is sketchy at this point. However, according to pictures and television reports, there is extensive structural damage throughout the Cancún area, as well as significant flooding and many downed trees and power lines and scattered debris. Several homes had also collapsed. Rainfall amounts in excess of 23 inches (590 mm (reported in Isla Mujeres, 1,637mm, 3 times what Gilberto dropped)) were reported in several areas. [13] One gymnasium used as a shelter actually lost its roof, which forced the evacuation of 1,000+ people staying there. [14]
The Governor of Quintana Roo, Felix Gonzalez, said in an interview: "Never in the history of Quintana Roo have we seen a storm like this." [15]
In Cozumel, the damage is extensive, but not as catastrophic as originally feared according to a witness, with many broken windows, fallen trees and power lines but less in the way of structural damage.
Communications are extremely difficult at this as telephone and electricity is completely out at this point in the affected areas. There have also been extensive reports of looting of many businesses in the Yucatán (primarily during the calm period of the eye of the storm), particularly in Cancun. [16]
Florida
With the center of Wilma still a long way away from Florida, its effects have already been felt with its expansive outer bands. Flooding has been reported in several areas, particularly in Broward County. Some damage has been reported and many additional evacuations have been necessary. [17]
Economic impact
Orange juice futures reached the highest level in six years on Wednesday, October 19, 2005, closing up 2.9 cents at $1.118 per pound. Wilma's potential for damage to orange trees in Florida could have an impact on several upcoming growing cycles. This is compounded by problems caused last year by Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne, which devastated Florida's orange crop, destroying many groves entirely. [18]
As dynamic models have moved the storm's track east over Florida, oil futures eased as worries of another direct hit on the oil producing regions of the Gulf of Mexico subsided.
The NFL has moved up its regular-season game between Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins to 7pm on Friday, October 21 in preparation of the hurricane. The NCAA has postponed two college football games scheduled in south Florida on Saturday, October 22. Georgia Tech vs. University of Miami has been rescheduled for Saturday, November 19. West Virginia vs South Florida has been rescheduled for Saturday, December 3. The NHL has rescheduled its Saturday, October 22 regular-season game between the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers to Monday, December 5.
The economic impact isn't limited to the United States, however. The popular Mexican resort towns of Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, and Cancun all suffered significant damage from Wilma, causing major loss of tourism income.
| Rank | Hurricane | Season | Pressure | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hPa | inHg | |||
| 1 | Wilma | 2005 | 882 | 26.05 |
| 2 | Gilbert | 1988 | 888 | 26.23 |
| 3 | "Labor Day" | 1935 | 892 | 26.34 |
| 4 | Rita | 2005 | 895 | 26.43 |
| Milton | 2024 | |||
| 6 | Allen | 1980 | 899 | 26.55 |
| 7 | Camille | 1969 | 900 | 26.58 |
| 8 | Katrina | 2005 | 902 | 26.64 |
| 9 | Mitch | 1998 | 905 | 26.73 |
| Dean | 2007 | |||
| Source: HURDAT[1] | ||||
See also
References
- ^ Atlantic Oceanic and Meterological Laboratory
- ^ Jeff Masters' Weather Underground blog
- ^ El Universal: Preparan alerta roja en Quintana Roo Template:Es icon
- ^ BBC: Hurricane Wilma grows in strength
- ^ Hurricane Wilma pounds Mexico's Yucatan
- ^ Monroe County, Florida: Emergency Bulletins
- ^ Collier County Public Schools
- ^ City of Naples homepage
- ^ Yahoo News: Hurricane Wilma intensifies, turns deadly in Haiti
- ^ NDTV: Wilma nears Cayman Islands
- ^ NDTV: Wilma nears Cayman Islands
- ^ Hurricane Wilma kills at least 7 (missed one) in Mexico
- ^ Hurricane Wilma pounds Mexico's Yucatan
- ^ Hurricane Wilma kills at least 7 in Mexico
- ^ Hurricane Wilma Punishes Mexican Coastline
- ^ Hurricane Wilma kills at least 7 in Mexico
- ^ Wilma's Rain Bands cause Flooding in Broward
- ^ AccuWeather.com
External links
- The Weather Channel
- Wilma pictures, satellites images
- NOAA homepage
- The Disaster Center's Coverage of Hurricane Wilma
- Tropical Cyclones page - University of Wisconsin CIMSS
- The Tropical Guidance page of Jonathan Vigh (PhD candidate at Colorado State in atmospheric sci) - many good spaghetti plots
- Kerry Emmanuel's track page at MIT -- includes a legend of the model names
- Extensive collection of imagery, media streams, etc., from Weather Nation
- Hurricane tracking and forecasts for Hurricane Wilma
- Steve Gregory's blog at Weather Underground
- Jeff Masters' blog at Weather Underground
- Webcamplaza.net
- Central Florida Hurricane Center
- SkeetoBite Weather
- Hurricane Local Statements from the U.S. National Weather Service gives evacuation orders,watches,warnings for affected areas of the United States as well as weather information
- Tropical Storm Risk.com - Information on hurricanes and cyclones worldwide with maps and forecasts
- GoogleEarthHacks.com Satellite images, forecasted storm track, webcams and more in a .KMZ-file for Google Earth! This file covers hurricanes worldwide, but is very useful for Wilma right now.
- Numerous tracking graphics put together on one page, maintained for Wilma
- ^ "Atlantic hurricane best track (HURDAT version 2)" (Database). United States National Hurricane Center. May 11, 2024.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public ___domain.
- Landsea, Chris (April 2022). "The revised Atlantic hurricane database (HURDAT2) - Chris Landsea – April 2022" (PDF). Hurricane Research Division – NOAA/AOML. Miami: Hurricane Research Division – via Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
- Landsea, Chris (April 2022). "The revised Atlantic hurricane database (HURDAT2) - Chris Landsea – April 2022" (PDF). Hurricane Research Division – NOAA/AOML. Miami: Hurricane Research Division – via Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory.
