Hurricane Frances staggered into the Gulf of Mexico this morning as a tropical storm, leaving millions of Floridians drenched, disgusted and without electricity.
And it hasn't said goodbye yet.
Frances appears headed for another landfall today in the Panhandle, possibly as a Category 1 hurricane. Late Sunday, it appeared the Tampa Bay area once again avoided a hurricane's full force. Almost 380,000 customers were without power, and there were widespread reports of downed trees, roof damage and car accidents.
But before it slid to the west coast, Frances dumped more than 12 inches of rain in some areas of the state. It downed trees and power lines, damaged mobile homes, piled up boats in marinas on the east coast - and left more than 3-million without power.
The storm was blamed for at least three deaths in Florida, including two people who were killed Saturday when their roof collapsed in Palm Beach County. Another man was killed when his car hit a tree near Gainesville. Two others were killed in the Bahamas.
Gov. Jeb Bush urged Floridians to be patient - patient as they wait for the power to come back on, patient as they wait for the rain to stop and floodwaters to recede, and patient as they wait for gasoline in some areas of the state.
"A year from now, when we look back on Hurricanes Charley and Frances, people will have to say Florida is a better place and a stronger place because of our efforts," he said.
A mountain of labor confronted residents and rescue workers this morning. Unlike Hurricane Charley, which bolted through Central Florida three weeks ago, Frances took its time.
"If Hurricane Charley was a one-round heavyweight knock-out, Hurricane Frances is turning into a 15-round middleweight fight," Orange County Chairman Richard Crotty said.
In other developments:
Gov. Bush issued an order giving the state power to allocate the deliveries of gasoline. Officials said the order is meant to assure that enough fuel will be available for hundreds of vehicles swarming into Florida for the Hurricane Frances recovery. They acknowledged the order gives them power to ration gasoline, but they said they were not taking that step.
The insurance industry began calculating damage. An estimate of insured losses is not expected until Wednesday, but the tally is expected to be in the billions of dollars.
"Right now I would not expect damages to be extraordinarily larger than (Hurricane) Charley," said Bob Hartwig, chief economist with the Insurance Information Institute.
Insured damage from Charley three weeks ago is estimated at $6.8-billion; 1992's Hurricane Andrew racked up $15.5-billion in insured damage, or $20.2-billion adjusted to today's dollars. If damage from Frances exceeds Charley, it would rank as the second most-expensive hurricane on record behind Andrew.
Forecasters expected Frances back over the warm water of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico early today, where it could regain intensity and strike tonight near Apalachicola.
New evacuations began in four counties in Florida's Panhandle. The most likely location for landfall was St. George Island.
Whatever respite comes with Frances's departure might be brief. Hurricane Ivan formed Sunday in the central Atlantic with a long-term forecast that could bring it to the state by early next week. With top sustained winds of about 135 mph, Ivan became the fourth major hurricane of the season. The Category 4 storm was about 2,400 miles east-southeast of Miami, too far to tell whether it will hit the continental United States. It was expected to keep strengthening, with hundreds of miles of warm water before the nearest land.
"Anyone who mentions the name of that hurricane (Ivan) has to put $5 in the till for hurricane relief," Bush quipped during a news conference in Palm Beach. "We're not at the end of hurricane season, so this might not be the end. Let's get that storm that shall not be named out of here."
Slow, wet slog westward
Once a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 145 mph, Frances slowed and weakened to a Category 2 storm as it neared Florida. Top sustained winds receded to 105 mph before it made landfall at Sewall's Point, north of Palm Beach, between 10 p.m. Saturday and 1 a.m. Sunday. One gust was clocked at 124 mph.
The storm remained over the state Sunday, creeping along at under 10 mph, dumping eight to 12 inches of rain - 20 inches in some areas. Frances was so big, and moving so slowly, that almost the entire state was threatened with damage from wind and heavy rain.
"I wish somebody'd get out there and push it - get it over with," said 72-year-old Nedra Smith, who waited out the storm in the lobby of a Palm Bay hotel.
The storm produced the largest evacuation in state history, with 2.8-million residents ordered inland and 114,850 residents and tourists sent into 363 shelters. More than 30 counties initiated a mandatory or voluntary evacuation.
The storm shut down much of Florida, including airports and amusement parks, ruining the Labor Day weekend for many.
In Palm Beach County, the cities of West Palm Beach, Lake Worth, Boynton Beach and Jupiter appeared hardest hit. There were reports that mobile homes in Boynton Beach blew over and suffered major damage.
Palm Beach, its exclusive streets usually lined with palm trees, remained closed because streets were so flooded - or blocked by fallen trees. Town officials said no one who is still on the island and leaves will be allowed back in. The closure will remain in effect at least through Monday.
In St. Lucie County some of the worst damage could be seen at the Pleasure Cove Mobile Home Park, off of U.S. 1 in Fort Pierce.
Although most of the homes were still standing despite the punishing winds, almost all were damaged. Homes that weren't torn apart by wind appeared to be flooded with a few inches of water.
Inside the park, at Serendipity and Sunshine lanes, a giant puddle grew into a small lake. Nearby, a photo of a woman holding a baby floated in 4-inch-deep water. Screen doors flapped in the wind. A deer head once mounted on a wall was in a pile of aluminum.
One man - driving a car with a Disabled Veteran license plate - pulled into his driveway to look at the damage to his home. He drove away minutes later, too upset to talk.
A neighborly "stay away'
The state that welcomes visitors with open arms sent another message Sunday: Stay out.
That applies to visitors and residents who left the state. Thousands of stir-crazy Floridians are marooned at hotels along Interstate 75 in Georgia and are itching to drive home and see what kind of calling card Hurricane Frances left behind. But Gov. Bush wants them to stay away for a while - maybe Tuesday.
"Our encouragement to others is to stay out," Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings said in a nationwide TV interview. "If you're already out of the storm area, stay out, and if you're in the storm area, stay inside."
Jennings said the state wants to clear a path for disaster teams, utility workers and other rescue workers, and to protect people from downed power lines, flooded streets and other hazards.
Times staff writers Tamara Lush, Michael Sandler, Chase Squires and Jeff Harrington contributed to this report. Information from Times wires was used.
