Thousands flee florida ahead of Hurricane Wilma

Thousands began fleeing Florida once again today as Hurricane Wilma hurtled towards the US coast.

The monster storm weakened slightly but remained a powerful Category 4, packing winds of 145mph as it threatened to bear down on popular tourist resorts.

Wilma is expected to brush Mexico’s Yucatan peninsular, currently home to some 8,500 British holidaymakers, in the next 24 hours.

It is then forecast to swing northeast towards southern Florida.

Tourists in the idyllic Florida Keys have been ordered to evacuate amid fears the storm will hit the mainland on Sunday.

The National Hurricane Centre warned that Wilma has become larger and remains “potentially catastrophic.”

Max Mayfield, director, said: “The hurricane has slowed down but believe me this is still a very, very powerful hurricane. Don’t minimise this.”

It is expected to strengthen again before hitting Florida, possibly returning briefly to the maximum Category 5 strength.

At one point it ranked the strongest Atlantic hurricane on record and has already been blamed for at least 11 deaths in Haiti.

Wilma’s exact path remains uncertain but the country is still reeling from the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Katrina and residents are taking no chances.

A state of emergency was declared in Florida and mandatory evacuations of non-residents throughout the Keys are in place.

Traffic jams began forming across the southwest coast as people put up shutters, stocked up on canned food and bottled water and queued for petrol.

Some 20,000 Britons are currently in the state, according to the Association of British Travel Agents, although the majority are in Orlando on the northeast coast.

Those with flights booked to the danger area were advised not to cancel at this stage as they would be looked after by tour operators.

Wilma is expected to weaken to a Category 2 hurricane when it slams into Florida.

Barry Gromett, Met Office spokesman, warned tourists in Mexico, Cuba and Florida to prepare for the worst.

“Wilma is expected to dump up to 40 inches of rain over the next two days which will cause severe flooding,” he said.

“It will pass over warm seas again before hitting Florida so nothing can be ruled out.”

The White House has promised to stay on top of the situation, hoping to avoid a repeat of the slow initial response to Katrina.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has set up emergency stations in Jacksonville, Lakeland and Homestead.

Wilma is the 12th hurricane of the season, the same number reached in 1969, the highest since record-keeping began in 1851. It is also the 21st named storm, tying the record set in 1933.