Katrina continues intensifying as it creeps toward South Florida landfall
By KEN KAYEsun-sentinel.com Posted August 25 2005, 12:00 PM EDT
Slowing its approach, Tropical Storm Katrina continued intensifying and churning toward South Florida, with landfall projected tonight or early Friday morning as a minimal hurricane.
At 11 a.m., the system was 55 miles east of Fort Lauderdale, creeping west at 6 mph with sustained winds of 60 mph. At that rate and on its current course, the storm would strike somewhere near Fort Lauderdale or Pompano Beach around 10 p.m.
However, because it was expected to slow down even further, its exact landfall point and strength remain iffy, as it could strength and wobble north or south, weather officials said.
What remains fairly certain is that the storm will bring torrential rains, as the first bands already have moved through South Florida, along with the storm's gray, gloomy cloud cover.
The rain projection has softened slightly, as forecasters now expect the system to produce 6 to 10 inches of rain across the region, with maximum amounts of 15 inches in some areas. That still could result in widespread if not severe flooding, weather officials said. A flood watch remains in effect through Saturday night.
Previous predictions had called for up to 12 inches of rain across South Florida, with isolated areas seeing up to 20 inches.
Just before landfall, Katrina was forecast to strengthen to about 75 mph, or just barely hurricane strength.
If so, it would be the sixth hurricane in just over a year to strike Florida, as hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne pounded the state last year, and Hurricane Dennis battered the Panhandle in July.
South Florida should see conditions steadily deteriorate through this afternoon, as waves of rain arrive. After the system crosses the shoreline, the squally weather should continue through the night.
By daybreak on Friday, the strongest winds should start to subside, but stormy, miserable conditions should continue Friday, Saturday and part of the day on Sunday, said Jim Lushine, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Miami.
"The rain will just keep coming," he said.
The system is unusually structured in that its south side holds more rain bands than its north side. Normally it's the other way around, Lushine said.
"That means Miami-Dade County might see more rain than even Broward or Palm Beach counties," he said.
In addition to rain and wind, the storm could spawn tornadoes. It also threatens to produce a 2 to 4 foot storm surge and large battering waves to the north of where it makes landfall, the National Hurricane Center in Miami-Dade County said.
Katrina already has roughed up the Bahamas with heavy rains and tropical-storm force winds.
After departing South Florida, the storm was expected to weaken to about 50 mph as it makes it way toward the state's west coast.
By Friday night or early Saturday, it was forecast to emerge in the Gulf of Mexico, build to hurricane strength and take aim at the Big Bend area of the North Florida coast.
In Broward County, meanwhile, officials recommended that people evacuate barrier islands and low-lying regions, and some schools in the area were closing. Battering waves and storm surge flooding of 2 to 4 feet above normal tide levels were expected.
Some people were putting up hurricane shutters, including Mike Knapik, a general contractor and business owner from Fort Lauderdale. Knapik was placing shutters on windows at one of his businesses Thursday, and later planned to do the same at home.
``I think it's a light storm. A lot of people aren't taking it too seriously,'' Knapik said.
Gas station attendants along the Interstate 95 corridor between Miami and Fort Lauderdale said they were seeing up to 25 motorists an hour early Thursday, instead of the usual handful. People were buying gas and stocking up on water and cigarettes, but long lines weren't a problem at area hardware stores and supermarkets.
``People go out and fill their tanks to the brim, but they don't leave. They buckle down,'' said Chris Bonhorst, a gas station attendant in Aventura.
Many in the area -- hit by two hurricanes last year -- had no plans to flee their homes in advance of the slow-moving storm whose worst threat appeared to be flooding.
Carlos Sarcos, 48, of North Miami, said he would only evacuate his family if Katrina grew into a Category 3 storm, with winds of at least 111 mph.
``I don't think it's going to be dangerous,'' he said.
Ken Kaye can be reached at kkaye@sun-sentinel.com
On the Net:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov
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