State of emergency as Florida braces for double whammy

A state of emergency was declared for all of Florida today as a tropical storm and then a hurricane raged closer, the first time the state has faced such a potentially disastrous plight in almost 98 years.

Tropical Storm Bonnie was forecast to hit the state this afternoon, and Hurricane Charley early tomorrow.

Schools and government offices were closed and Governor Jeb Bush activated the Florida National Guard to prepare for the worst.

Tropical storm warnings were posted along the Panhandle for Bonnie. For Charley, hurricane warnings and watches were posted for the Keys and the state’s south-west coast.

A steady line of traffic drove north off the Keys as tourists followed orders to evacuate the entire 100-mile long island chain.

Because the Panhandle is already soaked from days of rain, some low-lying areas may have to be evacuated if there’s flooding, said Craig Fugate, the state’s emergency management director.

Such a double whammy hasn’t happened in Florida since October 1906, when two tropical storms hit the state, said senior meteorologist Ken Reeves.

According to Hurricane Centre projections, both storms could spread rain along the East Coast after hitting Florida.

Bonnie’s maximum sustained winds were at 55 mph this morning and the tropical storm could dump up to six inches of rain, leading to coastal storm surges up to three feet above normal, forecasters said.

Hurricane Charley had top sustained winds of about 85 mph and was expected to strengthen.

Key West Mayor Jimmy Weekley asked bars, shops and restaurants to shut down at 10pm last night, but many remained open past midnight.

Raymond Moffitan, who wore a velvet hot-dog-bun hat, barked out offers of hot dogs and chili dogs for a “Hurricane Special – $2 (€1.60)”.

In the Caribbean, Charley headed directly for the Cayman Islands and was expected to travel over western Cuba on its track toward Florida.

The storms forced ships to change their routes in Florida, which has the world’s busiest cruise ship ports.