Florida Keys to escape worst of hurricane

Streets, bars, hotels and shops in the normally bustling island resort town of Key West were mostly empty today as officials said they were “cautiously optimistic” Hurricane Ivan might spare the island chain its worst punishment.

Ivan has killed 56 people across the Caribbean so far this week, including 34 in Grenada and 11 in Jamaica.

Millions more people are in its path, with the storm projected to go between the Cayman Islands, make a direct hit on Cuba and then either move into the Gulf of Mexico or South Florida on Monday.

Mandatory evacuation orders for tourists and 79,000 residents were in effect for the Florida Keys, a chain of low-lying islands are vulnerable to storm surges.

The storm initially was projected to hit the Keys directly, but it unexpectedly wobbled and lurched west early on Saturday, bringing hope to weary Floridians who already have suffered through two other hurricanes in less than a month.

“From a psychological standpoint, it feels better, but from a meteorological standpoint we’re not out of the woods yet,” said Matt Strahan, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Key West.

Billy Wagner, senior director of Monroe County Emergency Management, said he was “cautiously optimistic” about the forecasts, but officials said they had no plans to ease protective measures.

Some residents remained unsure whether to leave. Eddie Mathis, who lives on a sailboat, said he probably would stay onboard.

“If we did get hit by a solid Category Five, there’s going to be not many boats around here that’s going to be left. I don’t think it’s going to be that bad,” he said.

Resident Sofia Artola, 37, said there was no point in moving short distances to avoid the storm.

“If you don’t leave Florida, there’s no point of leaving at all. We just kind of ride it out and say we’ll just see what happens,” Artola said. “We go through this every year and even though it’s a pretty good storm, whatever happens, happens.”

The National Hurricane Centre in Miami said late on Saturday that Ivan had the sixth-lowest central pressure ever recorded for a storm in the Atlantic basis - an important measure of the storm’s strength.

Only Camille in 1969, Mitch in 1998, Allen in 1980, the Labour Day storm in 1935 and Gilbert in 1988 had lower central pressures.

Those who evacuated the Keys made the “right decision” because hurricane-force winds and rain could still affect the island chain, said Max Mayfield, the centre’s director. He said people should not let their guards down.

The deadly storm smashed into Jamaica early Saturday with ferocious waves and wind nearing 155 mph.

It strengthened to a Category Five storm with 165 mph sustained winds later in the day but dropped back to 155 mph early Sunday, making it a Category Four storm. However, forecasters warned Ivan could regain strength by Monday as it moved across warm tropical seas toward Cuba.

State officials, still manning round-the-clock operations since hurricanes Charley and Frances struck in the last month, prepared for a potential strike on the Keys.

They made plans to reach storm victims by air and by sea, and to deliver supplies in the event that any of the bridges connecting the islands to the mainland become impassable.