Rita May Be Cat. 2 In Keys; Projected Path Includes La.
Warnings
Hurricane warnings were posted for the Keys and Miami-Dade County, and the storm's eye was expected to pass between the islands and Cuba on Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center said.Voluntary evacuation orders were posted for about 134,000 Miami-Dade residents who live in coastal areas such as Miami Beach and Key Biscayne. A hurricane warning remains in effect for all of the Florida Keys from ocean reef to the Dry Tortugas, including Florida Bay.A hurricane warning is also in effect for the northwest Bahamas, excluding Grand Bahama and the Abacos.A tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch remain in effect from Deerfield Beach southward to Florida City and continuing westward to East Cape Sable.A tropical storm warning remains in effect for the Turks and Caicos Islands, for the southeast and central Bahamas, and for Grand Bahama and the Abacos.A tropical storm watch remains in effect from west of east Cape Sable to Chokoloskee, Fla.Storm surge flooding of 6 to 8 feet above normal tide levels, along with large and dangerous battering waves, are possible in the Florida Keys in areas of onshore flow.Coastal storm surge flooding of 3 to 5 feet are possible along the extreme southeastern Florida coast, and in the northwestern Bahamas.Thousands Flee Keys
Thousands of tourists jammed the highways Sunday after they were told to evacuate the lower Keys ahead of Tropical Storm Rita, which developed over the Bahamas and moved toward the vulnerable island chain."We're happy to get out of here before the storm comes," said Joan Taylor, 73, of Midland Park, N.J., who was planning to fly out of Key West on Monday.Gov. Jeb Bush declared a state of emergency for Florida, which gives the state authority to oversee evacuations.Despite the evacuation order, however, some hotels and restaurants in Key West remained open, and few businesses were boarded up early Monday.Rita is the 17th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, the fourth-busiest since record-keeping began in 1851. In 1933, a record 21 tropical storms formed, according to the National Hurricane Center.Four hurricanes struck Florida last year, killing dozens of people and causing $19 billion in insured losses in Florida. Hurricane Dennis brushed by the Keys in July, flooding some Key West streets, toppling trees and knocking out power, before slamming the Florida Panhandle.Florida was also hit this year by Hurricane Katrina. Eleven people died there.Farther out in the Atlantic, Hurricane Philippe formed late Sunday well east of the Lesser Antilles.The hurricane season started June 1 and ends Nov. 30.Watch Tom Sorrells, Larry Mowry and Michele Cimino for more on this story.Copyright 2005 by Internet Broadcasting Systems and Local6.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.







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