Thousands flee as Wilma heads for Florida
The southern half of Florida’s peninsula was under a hurricane warning yesterday in anticipation of Wilma, a Category 2 storm with 100mph sustained wind. Although still far from the state, Wilma’s outer bands of rain had already caused street flooding in South Florida. Tropical storm-force wind was expected to begin lashing the state last night and meteorologists said the heart of the storm was expected to roar across the state today. “The time of preparing is rapidly moving into time of action as people are evacuating,” Florida emergency management director Craig Fugate said.
About 850 people had registered yesterday at a Red Cross shelter in Germain Arena in Fort Myers, with some pitching tents and setting out mats on the still-melting ice where the Florida Everblades minor league hockey team plays.
