U.S., Mexico Brace for Most Powerful Storm in Atlantic History

Hurricane Wilma, the most powerful storm on record in the Atlantic Basin, hit Cancun, Mexico on Thursday and is proceeding north towards the Florida southwest coast where it is expected to make landfall Sunday.

|PIC1|Tens of thousands of people in the Caribbean Sea and the Florida coastline have evacuated as the “extremely dangerous” storm is expected to make landfall along the coast of Mexico and the United States in the next few days. Wilma has already killed 13 people in Haiti and Jamaica.

“This is still a very, very powerful hurricane,” said Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Centre in Miami to the Associate Press (AP).

The magnitude of the storm, which weakened from a potentially catastrophic Category 5 to Category 4 storm, has caused thousands of evacuations in the Caribbean, including one in Cuba where civil defence officials said that more than 96,000 people have fled their homes according to AP. On Friday, the U.S. Florida Keys will begin mandatory evacuation of residents.

Hurricane Wilma is being hailed the most powerful hurricane in Atlantic history because of its low barometric pressure. In terms of a hurricane’s intensity, a lower barometric pressure leads to higher wind speeds which translate into a more powerful hurricane.

As of 11 a.m. EST, Wilma’s barometric pressure was 882 millibars, a record low according to National Geographic News. The previous record was held by Hurricane Gilbert, which hit the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico in 1988, with 888 millibars. The most intense hurricane to hit the United States struck the Florida Keys in 1935. Its barometric pressure was 892 millibars.

James Franklin, a hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Centre in Miami, told National Geographic News that Wilma "obliterated ... by a wide margin" the previous record for rapid intensification set in 1967.

Forecasters expect Wilma to drop in intensity as it makes its way to Florida’s coast, yet still maintain winds of at least 111 mph (180 km/hr) noted National Geographic News.

Wilma is the latest of an onslaught of natural disasters to hit North America including Hurricane Stan that left 1,500 people dead or missing and Hurricane Katrina and Rita that took 1,200 lives along the U.S. Gulf Coast.

|TOP|Since August 2004, Florida alone has witnessed seven hurricanes either hit or pass close to it, resulting in more than US$20 billion in damage according to AP.

Operation Blessing International (OBI), the Christian humanitarian organisation based in Virginia Beach, Va., released a statement on Thursday in regards to Wilma saying that it is preparing for Hurricane Wilma by moving assets to the Ocala Storm headquarters in north-central Florida. Moreover, OBI has dispatched trucks on Wednesday containing water, cots, generators and roof repair supplies.

Also on Wednesday, the White House pledged to remain prepared for the aftermath in a “seamless coordination” among the government bodies, as part of its response to Hurricane Wilma.

“The primary difference between Wilma and Katrina storm preparations is a renewed effort to make coordination at all levels of government as seamless as possible,” White House spokesman Scott McClellan said in a statement.

“We are redoubling our actions and asking tough questions about what those needs are to ensure that we meet them,” McClellan added. “We believe responsibilities and expectations are clear at all levels.”

According to AP, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has prepared emergency supplies for the hurricane in the Florida cities of Jacksonville, Lakeland and Homestead.






Michelle Vu
Christian Today Correspondent