Florida coast starts evacuations

KEY WEST, Fla. – A hurricane warning was issued late Saturday for Florida’s entire southern peninsula as residents streamed out of the Keys and coastal communities under mandatory evacuation orders, and state and federal officials prepared for the worst.

The warning, covering hundreds of miles south of Tampa Bay, as well as the Florida Keys and the Dry Tortugas, means hurricane conditions could be expected within 24 hours.

Saturday night, Wilma was a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds near 100 mph after a slow two days moving along the Mexican coast.

It was centered about 50 miles north of Cancun, Mexico, or about 375 miles west-southwest of Key West, but forecasters expected strong wind currents to quickly steer it toward Florida.

Dozens of military helicopters and 13.2 million ready-to-eat meals were already on standby in Florida, and state emergency officials vowed a fast response.

“We will not wait for the winds to stop blowing, we won’t wait for the sky to turn blue,” said Craig Fugate, the state’s emergency management director.

“We’re ready for Wilma and, whatever the storm brings, we’re set to go,” said Federal Emergency Management Agency spokesman Butch Kinerney.

With hurricane-force winds stretching for 170 miles, Wilma could devastate a large swath of Florida, and computer models showed its route could come close to that of 2004’s Hurricane Charley.

If it hits Florida as a Category 2 hurricane, the state’s gulf coast could see a 12- to 14-foot storm surge. If it strengthens to a Category 3, that surge could be 17 feet, forecasters said.

In Florida, its outer bands were already causing problems Sat- urday, as they dumped more than 5 inches of rain on the Fort Lauderdale area, leaving one area hip-deep in water and forcing people out of at least 50 apartments and houses.

Another 4 to 8 inches of rain was expected in southern Florida through Tuesday, with a foot possible in some areas as Wilma arrives.