Wilma Strikes Florida

She struck at 6:30 this morning.My Way News has the story here.

Hurricane Wilma crashed ashore early Monday as a strong Category 3 storm, battering southwest Florida with 125 mph winds and pounding waves that threatened flooding in low-lying areas.

Wilma made landfall at 6:30 a.m. EDT near Cape Romano, 22 miles south of Naples in Collier County, bringing with it a potential 19-foot storm surge, the National Hurricane Center said.

Hurricane-force wind of at least 74 mph extended 90 miles from the center and tropical storm-force winds reached 230 miles, the hurricane center said. The storm strengthen in the hours before making landfall.

More than 22,600 people were in shelters across the state. But in the low-lying Florida Keys, not even 10 percent of the Keys' 78,000 residents evacuated, Sheriff Richard Roth said.

That could prove to be a mistake: While Wilma did not make landfall over the Keys, the storm could bring a surge of 8 feet to sections of the low-lying island chain.

"They're going to be in deep trouble," warned Billy Wagner, the senior Monroe County emergency management director. Street flooding was reported in the Keys, while power outages were reported in both the Keys and along the southwest side of the state.

The fast-moving hurricane was next expected to slice northeast across the state at up to 25 mph, with the Atlantic Coast likely to get winds nearly as strong as those hitting the Gulf Coast.

"Less weakening should occur as compared to typical hurricanes moving over land," said forecaster Stacy Stewart of the hurricane center. "Therefore, Wilma is expected to be a Category 2 hurricane when it reaches the Florida east coast."