Hurricane Intercept account - Wilma, Florida 24th October 2005



Stuart Robinson - Expert Stormchaser and Hurricane Hunter.



One Month after returning from intercepting Major hurricane Rita in Texas,
Hurricane Wilma developed and exploded over the Caribbean sea, Thus becoming
the most powerful and intense Hurricane in history. She went on to first
devastate the Yucatan peninsula before setting her sights on Florida - I
had to be there to meet her in person .. The following is my account of how
I managed this ..







I quickly gathered up my hurricane tracking equipment - much of which was
still unpacked from the Rita trip. I found a last minute flight to Tampa and
soon found myself in the sunshine state.



South West Florida is a tough place to intercept Hurricanes as much of it is
covered in a swamp - the everglades. This area would most likely flood for
miles inland. Therefore the furthest south that I could go was a town
called Naples on the very edge of the everglades.



Wilma finally moved off the Yucatan peninsula as a very disorganised
hurricane and indeed may not still be a hurricane before reaching Florida -
but what was left was now due to make land fall over Florida on Monday - the
day my flight back was booked back!. Fortunately the airport was going to
close down all flights on Monday as a precaution. So the air line put me on
a Tuesday flight instead - thank you very much!!



This then left me with some time to search of shelter some where along the
coast As I drove south I was struck at just how beautiful this part of world
is, some where that I must visit again under better circumstances. I drove
trough a town called Punta Gorda, which was ravaged by CAT4 hurricane
Charlie in 2004. I could still buildings that lay demolished and untouched
since that fateful day. I than ran across rows and rows of caravans - this
were FEMA temporary housing camp that even a year on, still housed many the
unfortunate residences of Punta Gorda. This snapped me back to attention -
time to focus on my own safety - Wilma was approaching.



While looking for Shelter, I took time to look at the waves that were
building along the coast at Naples, an area that would be very close to
landfall in about 24 hours time. What struck me was a was the complete
apathy and lack of preparation regarding the oncoming storm. There were
hardly any storm shutters on the buildings, no long ques for gas and food,
no one evacuating - people were on the beach , playing ball - life a normal.
I asked a life guard what preparations he was making for the hurricane - he
shrugged his shoulders and said "surf!" people did not think that Wilma
would be a big deal and were just not bothered..



But I was, Wilma, although disorganised, was now passing over the Florida
loop - and area of warm seas water, The hurricane feeding on this heat was
starting to organise again. I hurried to complete my plans.



The shops were open as normal so I stocked up on enough food and water to
last me and then set about scouting secure locations in which to hunker down
during the storm. I found three poured concrete car parking garages down in
Naples - marked there position on the GPS and returned back to the comfort
of a hotel room that I had booked, and was using as a base in Fort Myers -
far enough North of the storm not to be too badly affected - but still close
enough that I could drive towards the shelter in Naples in preparation to
meet the eye as it came onshore.



Back at the Hotel I smiled at the luxury of my weather command centre that I
had set up - this was a far cry from previous intercepts where my bed was
just the concrete floor of a parking garage - still there would be no sleep
tonight anyway I mussed. As dusk fell the first rain band passed over my
hotel and the winds started to pick up - I knew that the weather would all
be downhill from here.



For the next few hours I busied my self looking at weather and satellite
data - Wilma was HUGE - 500 miles across with a 65 mile wide eye , but
central pressure had been rising over the last 24 hours, really since the
first landfall over the Yucatan and it really did look as if she would
might not even make it as far as Florida as a Hurricane.



It was then that I noticed the latest Aircraft REKON data from the hurricane
Hunter aircraft sweep (959mb, 959mb, 958mb, 956mb..) I looked again at a
satellite image and the blood simply drained from my face, my heart skipped
a beat- Wilma was bombing and starting to rapidly intensifying still heading
directly towards South Florida.



I suddenly felt very alone - it was 04:00am back in the U.K. so I could not
even contact other weather watchers there for a second opinion on the
storm - I was really alone. My mind flashed back to the residents of
Naples, playing on the beach, walking the dog, surfing. They would be asleep
now, How could I warn them ?? what would become of them ?? I felt very small
and helpless at that moment.



The laptop bleeped in life, new RECON data was in, 954Mb another 2mb drop
in pressure over the last hour, the winds around the eye had now started to
respond to the pressure drop - 110 mph sustained gusting to 130mph - Wilma
was now a CAT2 hurricane and she still had eight hours over warm water until
landfall. No Time to get worried as a whoosh from out side told me that the
winds were now picking up considerably. I grabbed the weather station and my
jacket and went out side to take to take a measurement - Tropical storm
force winds were already here, earlier that I thought! - I was now cut off,
It would now be unsafe to drive the 30 miles south to Naples to the hardened
shelter - I was trapped at the hotel and would have to weather out the storm
there.



Back at the laptop another check confirmed my fears - Wilma winds had
intensified further and was now a Major CAT3 hurricane with 120mph winds,
gusting to 140mph - this was serious - The size of the eye meant that my
location would be just outside the eyewall - but inside the swath of highest
wind speeds for some considerable time.



A sound like a canon going off, accompanied with a flicker in the lights -
the power was starting to fail as electricity pylons were being toppled by
the winds. And then suddenly again, darkness.. the power had failed.



I fumbled in the dark to find my torch, connect my Mobile phone to my laptop
computer and quickly download new weather data before the batteries failed -
125 mph gusting to 150mph - Wilma was a strong CAT3 Hurricane who would make
landfall in a mere 2 hours, just after day break.



Dawn as expected brought the onset of the first real hurricane force
winds - car alarms in the car park started going off, trees falling over and
across the road the roof of a restaurant was starting to flap and fail. I
did winder about the strength of my own hotel, not that I could have done
anything about at now.



And the rain, buckets of it, it was lashing it down, the rain being carried
horizontally on the violent winds , Wilma was raining her self out over
South Florida. The drain system was overwhelmed and flooding was starting to
occur. Would the roads be blocked and trap me by the rising water? I
wondered.



The next two hours were a blur, All I could do was look out of the window as
the furious winds unleashed there fury over Fort Myers. Such was the
strength of the tempest the National Weather Service issued a Tornado
Warning for the whole eye wall - sort of like a 65 mile wide tornado! I
pressed the Weather Radio to my ear and got a position for the centre of the
eye which was now south of me - these would be the strongest winds that I
would suffer and I just had to hunker down and accept what they threw at me
and pray that the hotel was well built. This was not meant to be my shelter.



Two hours later and the winds had decreased so that I could venture out
side - I was kicking myself that had allowed myself to get cut off by the
winds and could not make the eye. The centre of Wilma was now over West Palm
Beach on the East side of Florida - Still as a CAT3 storm - such was her
size that she had not decreased as she crossed south Florida.



I collected my belonging - put on some dry clothes and checked out of the
hotel. I wanted to push south and see what had become of Naples and the poor
residents. There was a lot of downed trees, but fortunately not much
building damage - in fact not much at all. Naples and the residents had been
spared. I sat down on a fallen tree and thought about it.



Naples, Fort Myers and I were on the north side of the storm and because
Wilma was moving forward quickly for a hurricane at 25 mph, the net result
was to take 25 mph OFF the wind speed - sure 100mph would topple trees - but
it takes time to destroy buildings at this speed and Wilma moved over them
quickly. But what about the South side? Here the forward winds would ADD 25
mph to the winds - 150 mph - but no lives there as there is the everglades
swamp!! - I felt relived South Florida had dodged a bullet they really
really don't know how close they came to a catastrophic disaster - this
takes nothing away from the people who lives and dreams where lost during
hurricane Wilma



Relived at Naples lucky near miss I threaded North myself along tree covered
roads towards Tampa and my flight home, the evidence of fallen trees became
less and less I could find none at all.



I checked into a hotel in Tampa and watched the local news, Key West had
flooded, Miami had taken a bettering (South side of the eye) and six people
had been killed. But it could have been a lot worse if the eye had come on
land further north in a more populated area.



I am over the Atlantic right now , typing up this account, somewhat overawed
that I have done it again - Within one Month I had intercepted another Major
hurricane, sampled the winds, captured them on video and Film. Again humbled
at the power of nature and the total respect that these hurricane deserve -
if Wilma had just a 12 more hours over water - she may well have gained CAT5
status again..



Questions ?



Was the trip a success? Yes and no - I was able to get into the Hurricane.
But I missed the eye and allowed myself to be cut off by the increasing
winds, therefore not getting into position to intercept the eye.



Were you safe? Yes as safe as you can be - indeed I would say safer than
skydiving - but again I am experienced and understand severe weather - I don't
take risks.



How do you feel getting your "kicks" while other lives are ruined? -
Intense Hurricanes will continue to make landfall in America, if I am there
or not, much the same as tornadoes occur weather I am there or not. I can
not control the weather - but by using my forecasting skills and by being
able to show and share with people my severe weather experiences - I hope
that people are better informed and therefore better prepared and warned of
the power of these storms.



Where you scared - yes! But that keeps you alert.



Would you do it again - you bet!



However for now I am back at my desk at work tomorrow..





Stuart Robinson (38) is an experienced and respected Hurricane Hunter and
Tornado Stormchaser having seen 17 tornados and some of the most powerful
Hurricanes in recent years. He lives in a quite Village in Leicestershire
with partner Alison who refers to herself as a "Weather Widow"





0777 1714343

On Thu, 27 Oct 2005 00:14:02 +0100, "Stuart Robinson"
wrote:

Hurricane Intercept account - Wilma, Florida 24th October 2005

Stuart Robinson - Expert Stormchaser and Hurricane Hunter.

One Month after returning from intercepting Major hurricane Rita in Texas,
Hurricane Wilma developed and exploded over the Caribbean sea, Thus becoming
the most powerful and intense Hurricane in history. She went on to first
devastate the Yucatan peninsula before setting her sights on Florida - I
had to be there to meet her in person .. The following is my account of how
I managed this ..
[snip great report]

I suddenly felt very alone - it was 04:00am back in the U.K. so I could not
even contact other weather watchers there for a second opinion on the
storm - I was really alone.

Thanks for that report Stuart - it exactly matches what I learned from
watching Fox News and CNN's continuous coverage. Fox had reporters
with videophones out in Ft Myers and in Naples, all night and morning!

But you weren't alone... you could have phoned me!!! I was up all
night watching the TV coverage and on the internet - I saw the live
radar, NHC reports, METARS and I was on the phone to my twin daughters
on holiday in... Florida!!! Central Florida fortunately... phew.
Wilma just just missed them and all they had were thunderstorms,
tropical storm force winds and 3.5 inches of rain It was all very
exciting though, even from here. My phoned-in reports gave my twins
better, more up to date information than they were getting from TV and
radio

Glad to hear that you got the day's delay on the return flight... and
many happy returns... of the hurricane!

Cheers,

--
Dave
Fareham