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Hurricane Dennis
Dennis grows stronger - and moves closer
Evacuations of the lower Florida Keys accompany news that Dennis is a Category 4.
By GRAHAM BRINK, JONI JAMES and BRADY DENNIS
Published July 8, 2005
The news for storm-weary Florida residents got worse Thursday: Not only did Hurricane Dennis grow stronger, its projected path moved closer to the Florida peninsula.
Mandatory evacuations of the lower Florida Keys were ordered as Dennis developed into a Category 4 storm, with sustained winds in excess of 131 mph.
The storm rumbled past Jamaica on Thursday at about 15 mph. Ten-foot waves lashed the island's shores, flooding low-lying areas. Winds as fast as 115 mph tore off roofs and toppled trees.
Dennis will cross central Cuba today, forecasters predicted, then bear down on the western Florida Keys. Thereafter, the storm is expected to travel northwest through the Gulf of Mexico and make landfall Sunday somewhere between Louisiana and the Florida Panhandle.
On its current course, Dennis would be about 125 miles west of Clearwater by Saturday afternoon, forecasters predicted. The storm will deliver heavy rain, strong winds and 2 to 3 feet of storm surge to the Tampa Bay area, according to the National Weather Service.
Gov. Jeb Bush declared a statewide state of emergency on Thursday afternoon, and county emergency management centers were gearing up.
"Reality in Florida: We have a hurricane problem," said state Emergency Management director Craig Fugate. "If you didn't know it from last year and you haven't got it from these four tropical storms, I don't know what it's going to take."
A large high pressure system influencing the storm's path shifted to the east on Thursday. That caused most of the computer models to move the storm's projected path closer to Florida. Hurricane investigators also found an expanded wind field on the storm's northeast side, significantly increasing the chance for damage in Florida, said state meteorologist Ben Nelson.
Dennis could lose some steam as it crawls across Cuba but likely will regain it quickly in the warm waters of the southern Gulf of Mexico.
Nelson warned Florida residents not to focus on the skinny black line that represents Dennis' path. The path could shift several more times in the next few days.
"It's going to be a very large storm like Ivan," Nelson said. "The outer rain bands will be affecting the peninsula, and as we saw with Ivan, we could very well have tornadoes here in these rain bands, beginning Friday night."
Central Florida is already waterlogged from heavy rains in June. The Myakka and Peace rivers are at or near flood stage. Heavy rains will swell the rivers further, causing more flooding.
If Dennis remains on its current course, Tampa Bay area residents could begin feeling the effects late Friday or early Saturday. Sustained winds could reach 20 to 30 mph, with gusts above 40 mph, the weather service predicted.
Coastal waters will be very rough. Two or 3 feet of storm surge along the coast could flood some low-lying areas, especially if the surge peaks at high tide.
The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for local counties for Saturday and Sunday, said meteorologist Jennifer Colson. She urged residents to have a plan if Dennis moves closer to the Florida peninsula.
"Have an evacuation route thought out," she said. "Have it in your head what you are going to do so it's not panic mode it if happens."
The Pinellas County Commission is scheduled to meet in an emergency session today at 3 p.m. The board is likely to grant chairman John Morroni authority to issue an evacuation order during the weekend should the storm come toward the Tampa Bay area.
In Charlotte County, where Hurricane Charley landed so violently last August, cars filled the parking lots at Home Depot and Wal-Mart on Thursday, and customers filled plastic gas tanks at local stations.
These were the worriers, the ones who shudder at the thought of another hurricane, and Charlotte County is full of them. But it also is home to people who learned last year that worrying about an approaching storm does little good.
"If it's going to happen, it's going to happen," said James Smith, 26, who lost his home to Charley. "No one can control the weather."
In the Florida Keys, streams of cars were driving northeast off the island chain.
Last year, the Keys were evacuated three times, though none of those hurricanes hit the island chain. The Keys lost at least $50-million in visitor-related sales last year, according to state estimates. The last major hurricane struck Key West in 1948.
"Just the mere threat will keep people away," said Chris Mullins, chief executive officer of Key West's famous Sloppy Joe's bar. "We've been through this before, so we have game plans."
Times Staff Writer Will Van Zant and the Associated Press contributed to this report. Graham Brink can be reached at 727 893-8406 or brink@sptimes.com
FLORIDA PREPARES
Gov. Jeb Bush declared a state of emergency for all of Florida.
All residents of the lower Keys, from the Seven Mile Bridge south, and all visitors and mobile home residents throughout the Keys were ordered to evacuate.
Recent thunderstorms combined with expected heavy rain from Dennis prompted concerns about flooding along the west coast. Flood conditions already exist along the Peace and Myakka rivers.
Health insurance companies and HMOs, under order from the state insurance regulator, suspended restrictions on prescription refills through July 31.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency identified Jacksonville and Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Ala., as staging sites for relief supplies.
Officials said Florida had an ample gasoline supply, though Panhandle residents were urged to use fuel sparingly.
The Florida National Guard began identifying units for poststorm assistance.
Consumer hotlines for suspected price gouging were activated: 1-800-HELPFLA (1-800-435-7352) or 1-866-9-NO-SCAM (1-866-966-7226).
In Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, 7,600 Gulf Power customers were without power Thursday after Tropical Storm Cindy hit the western Panhandle area with 30 mph winds Wednesday night.
The remnants of Tropical Storm Cindy dumped up to 4 inches of rain in the mountains of western North and South Carolina. Two people died in Georgia, where Cindy dropped up to 5 inches of rain. A suspected tornado with winds of 113 to 157 mph touched down south of Atlanta, causing damage estimated at $25-million to $40-million.
[Last modified July 8, 2005, 01:27:55]
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