Floridians await potent, slow-moving hurricane
Potent but slow-moving Hurricane Frances snapped power lines and whipped the Atlantic coast with winds over 90 mph Saturday, knocking out electricity for about 2 million people and forcing Floridians to endure another day of waiting and worrying.
The wind uprooted trees and peeled off roofs; coastal waters resembled a churning hot tub.
“Those folks are getting pounded, and they’ve got worse to come,” said Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center.
The storm’s slow-motion assault — Frances crawled toward Florida at just 5 mph before stalling over warm water — came more than a day later than predicted. The eye of the storm wasn’t expected to hit east-central Florida until early this morning.
En route, Frances shattered windows, toppled power lines and flooded neighborhoods in the Bahamas, driving thousands from their homes. The Freeport airport was partially submerged in water.
Frances’ arrival came three weeks after Hurricane Charley killed 27 people and caused billions of dollars in damage in southwestern Florida.
For some Floridians, the second storm couldn’t arrive soon enough.
“I just want it to be quick. Just get it over with,” said Woodeline Jadis, 20, tired of waiting at a shelter in Orlando.
The storm’s leading edge pounded the Florida coast early Saturday, and about 300 miles of coastline remained under a hurricane warning. Frances was so big that virtually the entire state feared damage from wind and water. Forecasters said the storm would dump 8 to 12 inches of rain, with up to 20 inches in some areas.
“This is the time to show some resolve and not be impatient,” Gov. Jeb Bush said. “This is a dangerous, dangerous storm.”
The largest evacuation in state history, with 2.8 million residents ordered inland, sent 70,000 residents and tourists into shelters. The storm shut down much of Florida, including airports and amusement parks, at the start of the usually busy Labor Day weekend.
Some evacuees, frustrated by Frances’ sluggish pace, decided to leave shelters Saturday and return later.
Deborah Nicholas dashed home from a Fort Pierce shelter to take a shower, but stayed only a few minutes when the lights started flickering and trees began popping out of the ground. She has slept in a deck chair at a high school cafeteria since Wednesday.
“I’m going stir crazy,” Nicholas said. “I’m going to be in a straitjacket by Monday. I don’t know how much longer I can take it. Have mercy.”
Ron and Virginia Pastuch went home after spending two days at a Palm Bay shelter. Pastuch said he had never been in a shelter before.
“It’s the first time, and the last time, too,” he said.
Residents could take comfort that Frances weakened as it lingered off the coast. Forecasters downgraded it to a Category 2 hurricane as sustained winds receded to 105 mph, down from 145 earlier. But the heavy rain forecast still threatened to cause widespread flooding.