Wednesday, August 30, 2006
There may not be a hurricane, but danger remains.
MIAMI (AP) -- Tropical Storm Ernesto's leading edge drenched Miami and the rest of southern Florida on Tuesday as it steamed toward the Sunshine State with a potential for more than a foot of rain. But forecasters said there was only an outside chance it would strengthen into a hurricane.
Residents took no chances, though, mindful of the seven hurricanes that have hit the state since 2004 and Katrina, which struck New Orleans exactly one year ago.
"I don't think it's going to be too big, but you never know,"' said Frankel Herad as he removed brightly colored African dresses from the walls of his store in Miami's Little Haiti neighborhood.
At midday, Ernesto had top winds of 45 mph. And there was only a "remote possibility" it could become a hurricane with winds of 74 mph or greater before crossing over Florida overnight, the National Hurricane Center said.
Forecasters expected 5 to 15 inches of rain, which could flood streets and homes. Residents in flood-prone areas filled thousands of sandbags in anticipation of high water.
"People will let their guard down. They're going to do foolish things, and they're going to get hurt. This storm is not over," said Craig Fugate, the state's emergency management director.
Anticipated path
Ernesto was expected to move up the middle of the state and over the northeastern coast by early Thursday before churning into the Atlantic Ocean, where it could regain hurricane status before hitting Georgia or the Carolinas. Ernesto was briefly a hurricane Sunday before it struck Cuba.
Gov. Jeb Bush, joined by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, said the state was ready to respond to any problems with 500 National Guardsmen and another 500 state law enforcement officers.
"This does not look like a catastrophic event, but we always want to be ready," said Chertoff, who had just come from the Katrina anniversary events in Louisiana and Mississippi.
At 2 p.m. EDT, Ernesto was centered over warm open water in the Florida Straits, about 135 miles south of Miami. It was northwest at about 13 mph.
Getting ready
Across populous South Florida, residents scurried to make last-minute preparations. Most schools were closed, and lines formed early at groceries, gas stations, pharmacies and hardware stores.
Officials repeatedly urged people to have enough supplies for 72 hours, especially given the likelihood of power outages.
In Davie, Pedro Concepcion was about to leave his mobile home to get supplies, including wood to board up the windows and a tarp for his roof.
"Last year we had a lot of damage, so we want to be prepared. We still have some damage to windows," he said.
Officials in the Miami-Dade and Fort Lauderdale areas urged mobile home residents to evacuate, but not all did so.
Shelters open
Shelters were open throughout the region. More than 160 people were at one in Miami-Dade County by midday, but there were only 10 at a shelter near Fort Lauderdale and only 30 at four shelters in Monroe County in the Keys.
"I'm not surprised, because it's only a tropical storm. Most people are not going to leave their homes for a tropical storm," said Greg Artman, spokesman for Monroe County's emergency management office.
Damage from 2005 and 2004 hurricanes continues to plague many residents, with thousands still awaiting roof repairs.
In Miami, 49-year-old Luckner Senatus prepared to move his family to their nearby church. His neat beige bungalow was still covered with a blue tarp, with yellow water stains on the walls. He was still waiting for a contractor to fix his roof.
"They called last night to say maybe next week they will begin work," said Senatus, shaking his head. "We can't stay here tonight. We are all going to have to leave."
Ernesto killed at least two people in Haiti, including a woman washed out to sea Sunday from a southern island, the country's civil protection agency said.
There were no reports of damage or deaths in Cuba. In an unusual sign of the cooperation that has long existed between U.S. and Cuban weather services, the National Hurricane Center thanked Cuba's government for permitting reconnaissance aircraft "to fly right up to their coastline to gather this critical weather data."
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