When this storm makes the turn, it's going to start moving very quickly. So people need to get their supplies now. It's a good time to beat the rush.
But it's not going to threaten any land anywhere over the weekend.
If it goes just 20 or 30 miles inland, the core could be destroyed. A lot will depend on the exact track.
If it's 12 hours later than we're predicting, it could end up farther up the coast. If it's 12 hours sooner, it could end up farther south, maybe in the Keys or not even make landfall in Florida at all,
The only thing that could slow this down is itself.
I wouldn't be surprised if much of the island is under water. It's just a speck on the map.
Katrina could reach category-one hurricane strength before the center reaches the southeastern coast of Florida.
It is going to be a very dangerous situation. We could easily see 15 inches of rain in some mountain areas, and that could cause flash floods and mudslides.
I suppose it is only fitting that the record-breaking Atlantic hurricane season ends with a record-breaking storm.
That doesn't mean it will blow tropical storm force winds for six hours or 12 hours. It could be one minute or three, but it means if you have awnings that can't withstand tropical force winds, you should take them down.
We are not concerned about the Gulf Coast and we expect little if any impact on the oil industry. This is mostly going to be a Florida peninsula storm.
What people need to realize is that Rita has the same potential to create a catastrophic event as Katrina did.
This thing has been very tenacious. It's probably its last gasp.
Everyone should take this hurricane very seriously. This is going to be a potentially dangerous and potentially deadly situation and people need to get prepared.
Perhaps by the end of the workweek it could be posing a threat to Bermuda, but not the U.S..
Perhaps by the end of the work week it could be posing a threat to Bermuda, but not the US.
On this track, Maria should remain well to the east of Bermuda and only pose a threat to shipping interests.
Some people thought the hurricane season was over. It's not.
So, until the 2006 season begins, unless Zeta somehow makes an unlikely miracle comeback, this is the National Hurricane Center signing off for 2005. Finally.
Now is the time for folks in South Florida to get their hurricane plan back out and dust it off, because the season's not over. Unless the storm just gets torn apart, a landfall somewhere on the Florida peninsula seems fairly likely by Saturday.
Bad things can still happen, even on the fringes of hurricanes, ... We don't want people outside thinking it's OK. These squally bands can drop a tornado very quickly.
This is going to be a large hurricane with all the nasty conditions, including strong winds and storm surge. No matter how you slice it, it's going to be bad this weekend.
There's an excellent chance Wilma will become a major hurricane. We're not ruling out a Category 4.
It was straight up and down, and it began to spin faster and faster and faster.
It's the busiest in my memory, and I've been around 50 years. It reminds me of my childhood years growing up in the Miami area. Hurricanes were a rite of passage.
It's a very rare tropical cyclone making landfall in the Iberian Peninsula.
It's pretty beat up. It should be winding down as it moves ashore.
That's one of the things about these slow moving systems, ... We'll be dealing with this storm in one way or another for the next several days.
Every once in a while you get just the right conditions.
It's way out there and there's no indication that it's going to threaten land in the next five days.
They better take this hurricane dead-serious or they're going to be dead.
Once Irene hits the icy waters of the North Atlantic in about 48 hours, any remaining tropical characteristics should quickly disappear.
At this time it doesn't appear it will be a major threat to the United States during the next five days.
Exactly where and when it's going to make the turn, it's too uncertain to say.
I really anguished over this a long time. I didn't want to throw something out there haphazardly just to make it a hurricane and set another record.
Because it's such a large storm, when center is near Cuba, we could see rain bands. It is a larger hurricane than we typically see.
This hopefully will be our new tool to help us fine-tune our watches and warnings.
