Hurricane heads to southern Florida
Hurricane heads to southern Florida
After thrashing Cancun and Cozumel in Mexico Saturday, Oct. 22, Hurricane Wilma was heading toward southern Florida on a path that was expected to take it somewhere between the Florida Keys and Tampa.
Forcasting the tracks of hurricanes is extremely tricky, but as of Sunday afternoon, Oct. 23, the best estimates by weather forecasters have the category 2 storm coming ashore sometime in the early morning hours Monday, Oct. 24 in the vicinity of Naples, FL, then cutting through the state before exiting into the Atlantic Ocean and heading northward up the East Coast.
The hurricane is currently packing winds of 100 mph but may increase before hitting Florida, according to The Weather Channel's web site.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns announced Oct. 21 that USDA has deployed personnel and resources to assist in the preparation for the hurricane's landfall.
"As Hurricane Wilma approaches, USDA is prepared to provide food, emergency housing and other resources in the region," Mr. Johanns said in a statement. "Even as we stand ready to assist with Wilma, we continue to closely coordinate with many public and private partners to meet the immediate and long-term needs of those affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita."
Theproducenews.com will post on this site any reports of damage to fruit or vegetable crops from Hurricane Wilma as quickly as information can be obtained. A full report will also appear in the Oct. 31 issue of The Produce News.
Forcasting the tracks of hurricanes is extremely tricky, but as of Sunday afternoon, Oct. 23, the best estimates by weather forecasters have the category 2 storm coming ashore sometime in the early morning hours Monday, Oct. 24 in the vicinity of Naples, FL, then cutting through the state before exiting into the Atlantic Ocean and heading northward up the East Coast.
The hurricane is currently packing winds of 100 mph but may increase before hitting Florida, according to The Weather Channel's web site.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns announced Oct. 21 that USDA has deployed personnel and resources to assist in the preparation for the hurricane's landfall.
"As Hurricane Wilma approaches, USDA is prepared to provide food, emergency housing and other resources in the region," Mr. Johanns said in a statement. "Even as we stand ready to assist with Wilma, we continue to closely coordinate with many public and private partners to meet the immediate and long-term needs of those affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita."
Theproducenews.com will post on this site any reports of damage to fruit or vegetable crops from Hurricane Wilma as quickly as information can be obtained. A full report will also appear in the Oct. 31 issue of The Produce News.