Northeast Braces for Wilma as Florida Cleans Up

WESTON, Florida (AP) -- Florida residents lined up for generators, chain saws and other clean-up supplies only hours after Hurricane Wilma cut a costly, deadly swath across the peninsula, beginning an agonizing, all-too-familiar process for the U.S. state.

The storm slammed across Florida in about seven hours Monday, causing billions of dollars (euros) in insured damage and leaving 6 million people without electricity. Wilma was blamed for up to eight deaths statewide.

Officials in Florida's three most populous areas -- Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties -- were prepping to distribute ice, water and other items to storm-struck residents Tuesday, while utility-restoration efforts could take weeks.

"It will be days or weeks before we are back to normal,'' Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez said.

The Names & Numbers Deadliest, costliest, busiest months, worst states, plus this year's storm names and more. How & Where Hurricanes Form The science of monster storms. Increase in Major Hurricanes Linked to Warmer Seas Global Warming Making Hurricanes Stronger Wilma's Rage Suggests New Hurricane Categories Needed Wilma at 175 mph: Briefly the Strongest Atlantic Hurricane Ever

U.S. President George W. Bush promised swift help for the storm-ravaged areas. Bush signed a disaster declaration and was briefed on the situation by security officials and his brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

"We have pre-positioned food, medicine, communications equipment, urban search-and-rescue teams,'' the president said. "We will work closely with local and state authorities to respond to this hurricane.''

Wilma arrived as a Category 3 hurricane -- capable of causing extensive damage -- and littered the landscape with damaged signs, awnings, fences, billboards, roof tiles, pool screens, street lights and electrical lines. It was the eighth hurricane to strike Florida in 15 months.

Felled trees and blown roofs dotted expressways, and all three of South Florida's major airports -- Miami International, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood and Palm Beach -- were closed, halting air travel.

At a Home Depot in Weston on Monday night, about 100 people -- many seeking generators, propane tanks and other supplies -- stood in line outside. They were being let in 10 at a time to prevent overcrowding.

"Nobody's arguing, nobody's fighting, nobody's pushing,'' said Garry Greenough, who had 10 trees fall in his yard, one on his home. He needed a chain saw to cut the debris.

At 5 a.m. EDT (0900 GMT) Tuesday, Wilma's center was located about 310 miles (500 kilometers) east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The system was still a Category 3 storm with 115 mph (185 kph) winds, and was moving incredibly fast for a tropical system -- 53 mph (85 kph). It was expected to lose its tropical characteristics over cooler Atlantic waters late Tuesday or early Wednesday.

Yet the United States may still get one last brush with Wilma. It was expected to link up with an area of low pressure already off the coast, raising fears about renewed flooding in areas in the northeast already hit hard by eight consecutive days of rain earlier this month.

The remnants of Hurricane Wilma were expected to combine with two other storms to form a big storm called a nor'easter that could bring high winds, heavy rains, coastal flooding and even snow in parts of southern New England on Tuesday.

A flood watch was issued covering most of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, along with parts of northern Connecticut and southern New Hampshire. By midnight Monday, heavy rain was falling across New Jersey.

Unseasonably cool temperatures hovered over much of Florida early Tuesday, meaning the lack of air conditioning was not making a tough situation even more unbearable for those in Wilma's path.

Officials warned residents to boil water in parts of Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. A water main breach in downtown Miami sprayed water 15 feet (nearly 5 meters) in the air.

"We've lived here 37 years and we've never had a hurricane like this,'' said Paul Kramer, 71, of Tamarac, in Broward County.

In Key West, Chuck Coleman's routine also was broken. Normally this time of year, his two charter fishing boats would be packed with out-of-towners hoping to chase sailfish.

But on Monday he was standing on the dock, losing perhaps US$1,000 (euro840) a day until the customers return.

"Without tourists we die,'' Coleman said. "There is no other form of income.''

Risk assessment companies provided early estimates of insured losses, saying claims could range from US$2 billion (euro1.7 billion) to US$10 billion (euro8.4 billion).

There were six confirmed deaths in Florida and reports of two other deaths in the state that had not been confirmed. Before hitting Florida, the storm killed at least six people in Mexico and 13 others in Jamaica and Haiti as it made its way across the Caribbean.

• 2005 Hurricane Guide
• Wilma's Rage Suggests New Hurricane Categories Needed
• Natural Disasters: Top 10 U.S. Threats
• Weather 101: All About Wind and Rain
• The 100-Year Forecast: Stronger Storms Ahead