Strongest hurricane on record roars toward Mexico and US

AFP Photo NOAA satellite image shows the eye of Hurricane Wilma.

CANCUN, Mexico (AFP) - Hurricane Wilma became the most powerful storm ever recorded in the Atlantic as it hurtled toward Mexico and the storm-weary US coast with terrifying winds, forcing tens of thousands to flee.

The US National Hurricane Center warned that the "potentially catastrophic" behemoth, packing winds of 260 kilometers (160 miles) per hour, continued to swirl toward Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, which is popular among American and European tourists.

"The storm is very powerful and very threatening," said Mexican President Vicente Fox, adding that authorities are prepared for its impact. Cuba prepared to evacuate 100,000 people from its western coast, while tens of thousands of tourists were ordered out of Cancun, Mexico, and the Florida Keys island chain.

Mexican authorities ordered the evacuation of more than 33,000 tourists vacationing in two islands off Cancun, Isla Mujeres and Holbox, and from the Punta Allen laguna south of here. The storm also forced the cancellation of the MTV Video Music Awards Latin America ceremony, planned for Wednesday night in Cancun.

The peninsula could be hit by hurricane conditions in the next 24 hours, according to the National Hurricane Center. "All those here should take necessary precautions: first, tourists should return to their cities of origin, second, homes and boats should be secured," said Roberto Vargas, a civil protection official in Cancun.

The US hurricane center warned that Yucatan could be hit by storm surge flooding of two to three meters (seven to 10 feet) above normal tide, along with "large and dangerous battering waves," if Wilma's eye makes landfall on the peninsula.

Florida was bracing for Wilma to arrive late Saturday, and a state of emergency was declared in the Keys. President George W. Bush has been briefed on the storm, a spokesman said, and he called on Americans to heed warnings about Wilma. At 2100 GMT, Wilma was about 460 kilometers (285 miles) southeast of the Mexican resort of Cozumel on the Yucatan. The "extremely dangerous" storm's winds weakened to 260 kph (160 mph) per hour, compared to 280 kph (175 mph) in a previous advisory.

Earlier, the hurricane's barometric pressure had dropped to 882 millibars, "the lowest pressure on record for a hurricane in the Atlantic basin," the center said. The lower the pressure, the stronger the storm is. The pressure measured 892 millibars at 2100 GMT.

The hurricane center said fluctuations in intensity were likely as the record-matching 21st storm of the Atlantic season, a maximum strength Category Five monster, moved toward land. At least 11 people have been killed in flooding after two weeks of torrential rainfall in much of Haiti over the past two weeks, but authorities made no immediate link to Wilma.

Widespread flooding and landslides were reported in Jamaica from rainfall sparked by the hurricane, and nearly 25 inches (64 centimeters) of rain was expected to drench mountainous areas of Cuba through Friday.

World oil prices have eased, however, amid hopes that Wilma would not hit oil installations on the storm-weary US Gulf Coast. It is the 12th full-blown hurricane of the Atlantic season, and a series of storms have left thousands dead in Central America and along the US Gulf Coast.

Hurricane Katrina killed more than 1,200 people on the US Gulf Coast after it struck on August 29, and Hurricane Stan left more than 2,000 dead or missing in Guatemala earlier this month. Dozens more were killed by the storm in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Mexico. Florida has already been battered by hurricanes Dennis and Katrina this year, and the state's governor, Jeb Bush, brother of US President George W. Bush, was downcast at the prospect of a fresh hit. "Why us?" he said. "How does a storm take a sharp 90-degree turn?"

Copyright AFP or Agence France-Presse, 2009.AFP text, photos, graphics and logos shall not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. AFP shall not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any AFP content, or for any actions taken in consequence