Hurricane fears as Katrina nears Florida

A hurricane warning prompted a rush on petrol stations early today in south-east Florida, where people were advised to stock up on necessities and take safety precautions ahead of Tropical Storm Katrina.

The storm had maximum sustained winds near 50 mph, and was expected to reach hurricane strength as it slowly approached the Florida coastline, the National Hurricane Centre said.

Hurricanes sustain winds of at least 74 mph.

A hurricane warning was issued for the south-east Florida coast from Vero Beach to Florida City, as well as inland Lake Okeechobee. A tropical storm watch was issued for Florida’s west coast.

Katrina’s path appeared centred on the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area, but forecasters warned it could easily move to the north or south before making landfall later today or early Friday.

The storm was expected to cross Florida before heading into the Gulf of Mexico, dumping six to 12 inches of rain on the state, with some spots getting up to 20 inches.

Broward County recommended that people evacuate barrier islands and low-lying regions, and some schools in the area were closing. Battering waves and storm surge flooding of four to six feet were expected.

Petrol stations along the Interstate 95 corridor between Miami and Fort Lauderdale were seeing up to 25 motorists an hour today, instead of the usual handful. People were buying petrol and stocking up on water and cigarettes.

“People go out and fill their tanks to the brim, but they don’t leave. They buckle down,” said Chris Bonhorst, a petrol attendant.

Carlos Sarcos, 48, of North Miami, said he would only evacuate his family if Katrina grew into a category-three storm, with winds of at least 111 mph.

“I don’t think it’s going to be dangerous,” he said.

Governor Jeb Bush cancelled a business trip to Peru and planned to return to Florida from Virginia, where he was attending a hearing on military base realignment.

Katrina formed yesterday over the Bahamas, bringing heavy showers and battering waves but causing no reported damage or flooding.

“For the most part it’s just been pretty much a wet storm, but not much wind,” said Basil Dean, the Bahamas’ chief meteorological officer.

At 5am local time (10am Irish time), Katrina was centred about 90 miles east of Fort Lauderdale and was moving west at about 8mph. Forecasters said the storm was expected to slow down as it crossed the warm, storm-feeding waters of the Gulf Stream.

The Florida Panhandle was hit by Tropical Storm Cindy and Hurricane Dennis earlier this year.