Hurricane watch issued for most of Florida; Tropical Storm Alpha forms

KEY WEST, Fla. – Heavy rain from Hurricane Wilma's outer bands battered parts of Florida today as residents streamed out of the Keys under a mandatory evacuation order and forecasters announced a hurricane watch for the state's entire southern peninsula.

At the same time, a record 22nd tropical storm of the season formed about 125 miles off the Dominican Republic, Tropical Storm Alpha.

Just five months into the six-month Atlantic hurricane season, the annual list of storm names had already been exhausted and forecasters had to turn to the Greek alphabet for the first time in six decades of naming storms.

In Key West, one resident who had yet to heed the evacuation order summed up the feelings of many Floridians when he heard about Alpha.

"Oh, lovely, that's nice," said a sarcastic John Cline, a guest house worker having a drink at Mangoe's Restaurant on Duval Street in Key West. "Will it ever end?"

As residents boarded up windows and some fled Wilma's path, state and federal officials prepared for Wilma, expected to make landfall on Florida's gulf coast Monday morning. It would be the eighth hurricane to hit or at least brush Florida since August 2004.

A hurricane watch was out for a large part of state — about 400 miles along the west coast from Key West to the Tampa Bay area and nearly 400 miles along the east coast from Titusville south. The watch means hurricane conditions, including winds in excess of 74 mph, are possible within 36 hours.

Dozens of military helicopters and 13.2 million ready-to-eat meals were on standby, said FEMA spokesman Butch Kinerney.

"We're ready for Wilma and, whatever the storm brings, we're set to go," Kinerney said.

Four to 8 inches of rain were expected in southern Florida through Tuesday, with up to a foot in some areas. Category 2 hurricanes can have a 12- to 14-foot storm surge, and a Category 3 could bring 17 feet.

"The people on the west coast are going to have a real problem," said Stephen Baig, a storm surge specialist at the hurricane center. Forecasters said that with hurricane force winds stretching for 170 miles, Wilma could devastate a large swath of the state.

In the Fort Lauderdale area, dozens of residents were already dealing with hip-deep flooding from Wilma's outer bands a full two days before the storm was expected to barrel ashore. Five inches of rain overnight forced the evacuation of about 50 houses and apartments.

"We've got two more days before the hurricane," said Belinda Orange, 31, who had about a foot of water in her Oakland Park home. "What are we going to do?"

This afternoon, Wilma had weakened into a Category 2 hurricane with top sustained winds of 100 mph. It's center was about 25 miles northwest of Cancun, Mexico, and about 405 miles west-southwest of Key West, with a strong wind current expected to steer it toward Florida.

Key West Mayor Morgan McPherson said the streets of the island city were mostly quiet before the evacuation. It wasn't clear how many people remained.

"I'm going to wait and see what category it is," said Andy Arnold, lives about two blocks from the ocean in Key West. "But at the same time, I'm not going to be stupid."

In southwest Florida, Collier County officials coastal areas including Marco Island and parts of Naples to evacuate.

But people were still sipping coffee at sidewalk cafes in Naples. While workers installed metal panels over the windows at city hall, several residents played tennis across the street at Cambier Park.

"Wilma hasn't decided what she's going to do," said 60-year-old Pat Girard, a New Jersey transplant. "Playing tennis is very much of a stress reliever."

Associated Press writers Allen Breed in Naples, Mitch Stacy in Punta Gorda, Melissa Trujillo in Oakland Park, and Ron Word and Brent Kallestad in Miami contributed to this story.