NEWS FROM THE UNITED STATES 

Waiting for weakening Wilma: Floridians wary of ferocious storm

KEY WEST, Florida- A hurricane watch was posted Saturday for the low-lying Florida Keys and a mandatory evacuation order was issued for the islands' residents as southern Florida made preparations for Hurricane Wilma. Hurricane-force wind of at least 120 km/h could begin affecting the Keys within 36 hours, the National Hurricane Center said. The storm's outermost rain already had reached parts of the state. At the same time, an area of rain showers south of Puerto Rico developed into a tropical depression, the centre said. If that strengthens into a tropical storm, it would be called Alpha because Wilma was the last name on this year's official storm list. The Greek alphabet has never been used in roughly 60 years of regularly named storms. Residents had started leaving the Keys and parts of the mainland Friday as the tempest slammed into Mexico's Yucatan peninsula as a Category 4 storm. Wilma weakened further on Saturday to a Category 3 with sustained wind near 200 km/h as it meandered over the Yucatan. "Florida should take advantage of the slow pace and use this time to stock up on supplies and prepare," Governor Jeb Bush told reporters. Wilma would be the eighth hurricane to hit or pass by near the state since August 2004. The huge storm's outer bands of rain were already reaching parts of Florida on Saturday, causing some minor flooding that forced people out of about 50 houses and apartments in the Fort Lauderdale area. About four centimetres of rain fell overnight in that area, according to the National Weather Service. Belinda Orange had up to 30 centimetres of water in her home in Oakland Park. A black line of dirt and silt clung to her white walls at the high water mark. "It had been flooded before at the door, but not like this," the 31-year-old said. Scattered gas shortages were reported but Bush said the state had a 10-day supply. Traffic jams backed up highways Friday as people fled the west coast, but state troopers told the governor most of the congestion was due to accidents. The Federal Emergency Management Agency had extra people, communications gear and emergency supplies in Florida, hoping to avoid a repeat of the slow initial response to Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana. "We're going to make sure we understand what's going on and we're able to respond when the state requests assistance," FEMA acting chief R. David Paulison said Saturday. Monroe County issued an evacuation order for all residents of the Keys, connected to each other by a single highway, starting at noon Saturday. On Friday, they had urged residents to evacuate voluntarily. But some residents stayed put. Andy Vogel mowed his lawn Saturday in Marathon and said he had no intention of leaving unless the Keys appear to be in line for a direct hit. "Guess I can make it look good before it gets trashed," he said of his lawn. Collier County ordered mandatory evacuations Friday for areas close to the Gulf Coast, such as Naples and the snowbird enclave Marco Island. In the past, many residents in the free-spirited Keys ignored evacuation orders. But after Katrina's death and destruction in Louisiana and Mississippi, Key West streets were nearly empty Friday and plywood covered most windows. "The economy of life is greater than the economy of substance," Key West Mayor Morgan McPherson said. Hospitals and nursing homes had contingency plans ready in case Wilma headed their way. Officials want to avoid the deaths of trapped patients and residents that Katrina caused. At Charlotte Regional Medical Center in Punta Gorda, administrators discharged as many patients as possible and had reduced the number of elective surgeries. They prepared to evacuate patients if needed, executive director Dan Buckner said. The hospital suffered tens of millions of dollars in damage last year from Hurricane Charley. At 11 a.m., Wilma's eye was inland over northeastern Yucatan, centred just southwest of Cancun and about 400 miles southwest of Key West. It was drifting northward but was expected to turn toward the northeast and could hit Florida on Monday, the hurricane centre said. Computer models still were unclear as far as what part of Florida would be affected by Wilma. But hurricane centre Director Max Mayfield said Friday stressed that Wilma probably would be a strong hurricane with a high storm surge when it reaches the state. "The message here is to continue to pay very close attention. It's still coming. It's just been slowed down," Mayfield said. -David Rose