Wilma: Watching and Waiting

Hurricane Wilma: Watching and Waiting

After drenching Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, Wilma meanders across the Yucatan Channel toward Mexico’s island of Cozumel and Cancun on the Yucatan Peninsula, now a fully blown Category 5 hurricane. In fact, at one time it recorded the lowest barometric pressure ever for a hurricane. This intensity is lessened somewhat as it makes landfall. Then, it stalls over the Yucatan.

In Key West we watch all of this on the Weather Channel, wondering how this will impact us. Key West has a vested interest, having already experienced glancing strikes from three hurricanes this season, while I was away in the Bahamas, and now we are clearly within the forecaster’s cone. With Wilma only 400 miles away, we can see changes in our weather. It is hot, muggy, windy and rainy.

This does give time to those of us who are remaining on our boats to go up and down the pier checking on other boats. It is amazing how little effort and thought some people give to maintaining and caring for their boats. Insufficient lines, not secured properly, tied too close to the pier, inadequate fenders, just to mention some of the safety problems.

I do all of this in constant pain. As is often the case when I try to do too much, too fast, I pull a muscle or pinch a nerve in my lower back. Also, because I am very nervous and apprehensive, I have diarrhea for three days running before Wilma finally arrives. I find that I have no appetite and not eating, another malady for me when under stress.

Previous	Next
Preparation	Wilma