Hurricane Wilma Hits Florida Keys and Mainland Florida

Hurricane Wilma came ashore the Florida mainland before dawn on the west coast near Naples as a Category 3 storm.

Hurricane Wilma crashed ashore in southwest Florida and roared across the peninsula, pounding Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach on Monday after slamming Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and killing 17 people in the Caribbean.

The sprawling storm, about 400 miles across, covered much of the Florida peninsula and some of its strongest winds whipped Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, the state’s most populous area with about 5 million people.

Wilma made landfall as a Category 3 storm at 6:30 a.m. EDT near Cape Romano on the southwest Gulf Coast. It then began its path across the peninsula.

Hurricane Wilma Infrared Loop

Hurricane Wilma plowed into southwest Florida early Monday with howling 125 mph winds.

Huricane Wilma Advisory

Tracking

Computer models

AP; Hurricane Wilma Plows Into Florida’s Southwest Coast, Packing 125 Mph Winds and Lashing Rain