Hurricane Wilma

[camey0777]

Wow We3 just made it just in time. We were on the miracle last week, just returned two days ago from Tampa.. We had a wonderful cruise.. No bad weather. Very humid but no storms. Everyday was a great day. This is my second cruise within the last four months, First trip was to Mexican riviera.. Cabo san lucus, Mazat, porta v. that was our first trip and it was wonderful and them the westren carribean cruise we set5 sail on the 9th of oct. and returned the following sunday.we stayed over night in tampa on sunday night and flew home to LA, cal. on monday. Had one night of rest before the long flight home. ON the cruise we had a beautiful suite, and a large balcony with a great view. We had the best steward his name is binet, from haite. He made our trip ever better. Always taking care of everything in the room, kept our room so clean and made sure we had ice and wasw just a really good person. OUr server in the dinning room was jose he was great to, Always happy to see us and just went the extra mile to make sure we were satisfied. If there was something I didn't like, He would bring me something more. We also went to nick and nora's for dinner twice.. what an experience, Fantastic food and world class service. The food was in so good. There was a good band that played on the lido deck. Definately carribean sound and it was a party... They had the hairy chest contest, My husband was the one with the most hair on his chest and back, but the lady that decided who won was blind folded and she had to pick three people 1-8 that was in the final and then she decided who won. SHe gave the number 4 instead of five. so he lost out. But that's ok, all the men that were in the contest came up to my hubby after the contest and tols him that he won. Then my sister was in the disco dance party that was a blast. our family was on the video alot. It waqs fun to bring home the video log for the family to see and just a great memories. I will add more later... gOOD Luck to those heading out to seas during this hurricane. You all are in our prayers.... Camey0777

[makeda]

category 1 to category 5 in 24 hours....go away!

[TVMet]

BULLETIN

HURRICANE WILMA ADVISORY NUMBER 16

NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL

5 AM EDT WED OCT 19 2005

 

...AIR FORCE RECONNAISSANCE PLANE REPORTED 884 MB...THE LOWEST

MINIMUM PRESSURE EVER MEASURED IN A HURRICANE IN THE ATLANTIC

BASIN...THIS VALUE SHOULD BE USED WITH CAUTION UNTIL CALIBRATED...

 

A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE EAST COAST OF THE YUCATAN

PENINSULA FROM CABO CATOCHE TO PUNTA GRUESA.

 

A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT IN CUBA FOR THE PROVINCES OF

MATANZAS WESTWARD THROUGH PINAR DEL RIO...AND FOR THE ISLE OF

YOUTH. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE

POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS.

 

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR HONDURAS FROM THE

HONDURAS/NICARAGUA BORDER WESTWARD TO CABO CAMARON.

 

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR

THE CAYMAN ISLANDS.

 

ALL INTERESTS IN THE FLORIDA KEYS AND THE FLORIDA PENINSULA SHOULD

CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE WILMA.

 

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE

INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED

BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

 

AT 5 AM EDT...0900Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED NEAR

LATITUDE 17.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 82.5 WEST OR ABOUT 170 MILES...

270 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF GRAND CAYMAN AND ABOUT 365 MILES...

590 KM...SOUTHEAST OF COZUMEL MEXICO.

 

WILMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH...13 KM/HR. A

TURN TOWARD THE NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

 

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 175 MPH...280 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER

GUSTS. WILMA IS A CATASTROPHIC CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE ON THE

SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE EXPECTED

DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

 

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 15 MILES... 30 KM...

FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP

TO 160 MILES...260 KM.

 

AN AIR FORCE PLANE JUST MEASURED A MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 884

MB...26.10 INCHES. THIS IS THE LOWEST PRESSURE EVER RECORDED IN A

HURRICANE IN THE ATLANTIC BASIN. HOWEVER...THIS PRESSURE VALUE

SHOULD BE USED WITH CAUTION UNTIL IT IS FULLY CALIBRATED.

 

Forecast...

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/storm_graphics/AT24/refresh/AL2405W5+gif/084935W_sm.gif

 

Satellite...

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA/RT/FLOAT/IR4/20.jpg

[TVMet]

History being made this morning:

 

BULLETIN

HURRICANE WILMA INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 16A

NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL

8 AM EDT WED OCT 19 2005

 

...WILMA MAINTAINING CATEGORY FIVE STATUS...RECORD PRESSURE

CONFIRMED BY AIRCRAFT CREW...

 

A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE EAST COAST OF THE YUCATAN

PENINSULA FROM CABO CATOCHE TO PUNTA GRUESA.

 

A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT IN CUBA FOR THE PROVINCES OF

MATANZAS WESTWARD THROUGH PINAR DEL RIO...AND FOR THE ISLE OF

YOUTH. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE

POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS.

 

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR HONDURAS FROM THE

HONDURAS/NICARAGUA BORDER WESTWARD TO CABO CAMARON.

 

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR

THE CAYMAN ISLANDS.

 

ALL INTERESTS IN THE FLORIDA KEYS AND THE FLORIDA PENINSULA SHOULD

CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE WILMA.

 

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE

INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED

BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

 

AT 8 AM EDT...1200Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE WILMA WAS LOCATED NEAR

LATITUDE 17.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 82.8 WEST OR ABOUT 340 MILES...

550 KM...SOUTHEAST OF COZUMEL MEXICO.

 

WILMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH...13 KM/HR. A

TURN TOWARD THE NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

 

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 175 MPH...280 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER

GUSTS. WILMA IS A POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE

ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE COMMON

IN HURRICANES THIS INTENSE AND ARE LIKELY DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

 

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 15 MILES... 30 KM...

FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP

TO 160 MILES...260 KM.

 

BASED ON DROPSONDE AND FLIGHT-LEVEL DATA FROM AN AIR FORCE PLANE

JUST RETURNING FROM ITS MISSION IN WILMA...THE MINIMUM CENTRAL

PRESSURE IS ESTIMATED TO BE 882 MB...26.05 INCHES. THIS IS THE

LOWEST PRESSURE ON RECORD FOR A HURRICANE IN THE ATLANTIC BASIN.

[PA Dutchman]

I hope everybody has there ears up for Wilma in the gulf and Fla and starts heading out of the area as soon as you know where it's headed. Cat 5 + :eek: you better be ready to bug early and be safe. This will be a mess with the ships this week end, good luck everybody.

[Chucksta63]

Winds are at 193!!!:eek:

[cruisinkid]

Whoa this storm just blew up over night...now my question is this... We are supposed to dock at Port canaveral on Sunday and the storm will be over the peninsula of FL Sunday morning. Obviously there will be some flight problems, but what about disembarking?? I know if this is a cat 5 there will be weather all the way up to Jacksonville. Anyone have any ideas on what CCL does when there is a major storm and they are scheduled to dock?

[Kahhli]

"Winds are at 193!!!:eek:"

 

GASP !

 

Wow that is just amazing :eek:

 

Dh just called and said .. welll hows it looking for the cruise on Monday ?

To me its not looking to good at all.

 

But then again I am the rookie cruiser.

I told him I have visions of us laying on a Airport floor and being stranded and then asking ourselves ..

WHAT WERE WE THINKING GETTING ON THAT PLANE :confused:

We are flying down from PA late Sunday night, with a stop in Atlanta.

Im hoping they will make a descision early enough so that we dont have to pick a spot amongst the tile floor. We could just stay home then and enjoy the Fall colors of PA I suppose :mad:

 

That said .. Im really concerned about the residents down there.

Im hoping they get out fast and safely.

My missing a cruise seems soooo insignificant in comparison, and actually it is.

 

Kahhli

[GoinCruisin]

Lots of thoughts and prayers to everyone in the path of this monster... considering what all of these areas have been through over the years, to hear that the strongest hurricane on record is heading that way has to be frightening :( I'm hoping this thing loses some umph... you guys in Florida batten down, and get out!!!!!

[cruisinkid]

If you stop in ATL Sunday night you'll end up sleeping there...I would suggest getting a cheap airport hotel booked now. They'll close the airports Sat night. Either that or change your inbound city to something a little further north and drive down. either way it's not looking good at all. I never thought it would get this strong, especially this late in the season. Lets hope it gets some dry air in it and weakens a bunch. I'd hate to see another Andrew happen to South FL again :(

[cruzinsteve]

On a positive note if there is one, the Jet Stream will push it NE and should shear off some of the top, reducing the winds and hopefully reducing the category below a 5 to perhaps a two or three, still bad, but better than a five.

[redcat72]

Hello! I'm over from the RC board... this has been a very informative thread. We are supposed to leave out of Baltimore next Friday. :confused: Wilma is due to hit basically all of our ports of call. :eek: I hope everyone in the path will be ok, and this thing will lose it's strength.

 

I was wondering if TVMet could tell us what it means by having such low pressure? Does that make the storm stronger, faster, smaller, etc.?

 

History being made this morning:

BASED ON DROPSONDE AND FLIGHT-LEVEL DATA FROM AN AIR FORCE PLANE JUST RETURNING FROM ITS MISSION IN WILMA...THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS ESTIMATED TO BE 882 MB...26.05 INCHES. THIS IS THE LOWEST PRESSURE ON RECORD FOR A HURRICANE IN THE ATLANTIC BASIN.

[GoinCruisin]

Hello! I'm over from the RC board... this has been a very informative thread. We are supposed to leave out of Baltimore next Friday. :confused: Wilma is due to hit basically all of our ports of call. :eek: I hope everyone in the path will be ok, and this thing will lose it's strength.

 

I was wondering if TVMet could tell us what it means by having such low pressure? Does that make the storm stronger, faster, smaller, etc.?

 

I don't know all the technical jumbo... but apparently, the lower the pressure, the more intense the storm. The winds become stronger because the high pressure air, mixes with the low pressure from the hurricane... the lower the pressure, the faster the air speed... something like that?? I watched something on this years ago, and not sure if I got it right :o

 

We are scheduled to leave on the Western Itin next Sunday, but we are already looking at the Eastern, as I have a feeling the Western won't be an option come next week :(

 

Stay safe everyone!!!

[cantwait2cruise]

Whoa this storm just blew up over night...now my question is this... We are supposed to dock at Port canaveral on Sunday and the storm will be over the peninsula of FL Sunday morning. Obviously there will be some flight problems, but what about disembarking?? I know if this is a cat 5 there will be weather all the way up to Jacksonville. Anyone have any ideas on what CCL does when there is a major storm and they are scheduled to dock?

 

You will stay out to see until it is safe. This happened to us last year with Hurricane Frances. We were supposed to port back to Tampa on Sat. and stayed out to see until Tues.

[blyle]

Usually it is safer for ships at sea than at port so they will stay out if the storm is there.

[big_duck]

They need to start naming all hurricanes after guys.

 

Guy Hurricanes don't seem to cause as much trouble. :rolleyes:

[glrounds]

I was wondering if TVMet could tell us what it means by having such low pressure? Does that make the storm stronger, faster, smaller, etc.?

 

First of all, I'm not a meteorologist (but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night :D ).

Chris has the right idea. As I understand it, the lower the pressure the higher the surge. The way it was explained to me goes as follows:

The low pressure associated with hurricanes is like a straw in a coke. When you suck on the straw you create a low pressure inside the straw (lower than the surrounding air pressure which is a constant and is always there). This lower pressure within the straw and higher pressure around the outside of the straw pushes the coke up the straw.

When the pressue drops within a hurricane it literally LIFTS up the ocean within this low pressure area (like the coke coming up the straw). The lower the pressure the higher it lifts the ocean within the hurricane itself. This is called surge (I think). When you have a high surge as well as high winds which create monster swells (waves) you have a disaster in the making. :eek:

Incidentally, this same principle works with foo foo drinks. (Chris, I'm sure can attest to that) :D

[GoinCruisin]

(Chris, I'm sure can attest to that) :D

 

 

LOL Gary, that I can attest to :D

 

Yours was a much better explanation! Thanks Gary!!! *still hoping you can join us next weekend* ;)

[Mysticks1]

They need to start naming all hurricanes after guys.

 

Guy Hurricanes don't seem to cause as much trouble. :rolleyes:

 

Tell that to the ones that got hit by Hurricane Dennis. We evacuated for that one as well as Katrina.... I also rode out Frederick in 1979 and that one was no fun. It came in right on the MS/AL state line and was my first experience being in the eye of a hurricane. So I don't agree that the guy storms are necessarily better. :p :D I hope everyone that is in the path heeds the warnings and evacuates in time.

 

BTW - Duck I really like the new avatar.

[redcat72]

Thanks for the explanation Gary! :)

[glrounds]

LOL Gary, that I can attest to

 

Yours was a much better explanation! Thanks Gary!!! *still hoping you can join us next weekend*

 

What a nice thing to say, Chris. Thank you. However, I'm afraid I'm locked out of the VALOR VAMPIRE'S cruise. As is usually the case with group cruises this ship is sold out, which merely means the whole group cruise concept is working for Carnival (this is a good thing). Just not good for last minute solo cruisers. :(

 

Sooooooooo, I went to my trusty online agencies and could have booked the 10/30 CONQUEST which would have put me in the same port on the same days as the VALOR twice (I think Grand Cayman and Cozumel). Thought that would have been a giggle. (How many times does a CCer get to "moon" an entire group of CCers across the pier) :D

However, with the recent rains here in So Cal, all the building project's timing is all screwed up and I, most likely, won't be able to be gone that week, so I haven't booked it yet (and when I know for sure, it probably won't be available anymore). [tears cascading down cheeks]

In any event, I want to encourage the gang to PARTAE ON and have a great cruise. Whatever doesn't kill yah, only makes you stronger (my apologies to Nietzche). :D

[GoinCruisin]

Gary, so sorry you won't be able to make it :( One of these days we will cruise together!!!!!! Take care with those rains out there, looks like a mess!!! Stay safe!!! And you never know when a last minute opening can pop up!!!!! I'll keep an eye out!

[gtalum]

Change your flights to Monday morning. Delta is now allowing fee-free changes for anyone currently booked through Sunday 10/23 to all Florida airports from Tampa and Orlando south.

[RHamilton]

Are we confident enough that 10/23 sailings from Miami will be backed up to Monday? There's absolutely nothing updated with Carnival's site.

[RHamilton]

Are we confident enough that 10/23 sailings from Miami will be backed up to Monday? There's absolutely nothing updated with Carnival's site.