Florida braces for hurricane blast

About 800,000 residents on the Florida coast have been asked to evacuate the area with the impending arrival of Hurricane Charley, expected to hit the Florida keys late Thursday or early Friday.Charley has already brought up to six inches of rain to Jamaica Wednesday night, and is expected to remain at hurricane intensity, possibly as a Category 3, when it makes landfall in Florida. Risk Modeling Solutions (RMS) says a direct hit to the Tampa area, as National Weather Services tracking indicates could happen, could cause as much as US$10 billion in insured losses. ” The latest forecasts show the storm reintensifying after passing over Cuba, and making landfall with wind speeds of approximately 120 mph. If this scenario plays out in terms of intensity and landfall position, losses could exceed $10 billion,” says Kyle Beatty, meteorologist at RMS. He notes that Tampa is the most densely populated area in Florida. RMS notes Category 3 hurricanes can produce storm surge of 10-12 feet. The state is getting a double-dose of Mother Nature, with the landing of Tropical Storm Bonnie in the area near Apalachicola, Florida. However, Bonnie has weakened, down from winds of about 50 mph to sustained gusts of 40 mph. The U.S. National Weather Services predicts tidal storm surge of two to five feet above normal, with rainfall of four to six inches.The storm is also expected to make its way north to North Carolina late Thursday, bringing two to four inches of rainfall.