The northern eyewall of hurricane Wilma moved over the town of Okeechobee as Wilma moved northeast across the Florida peninsula. Okeechobee Emergency Management reported winds near 80 mph (69 knots) but the instrument failed before the peak winds occurred.
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Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS MLB wrote it up.
The northern eyewall of hurricane Wilma moved over the town of Okeechobee as Wilma moved northeast across the Florida peninsula. Okeechobee Emergency Management reported winds near 80 mph (69 knots) but the instrument failed before the peak winds occurred. Most damage was in the south part of the county and around Lake Okeechobee. Fifty covered boat slips were destroyed and 12 boats were damaged or sunk. About 800 residences were damaged. Of these, 29 were destroyed and 114 received major damage. The Okeechobee City water plant was shut down due to poor water quality in the lake. Two airplanes were overturned. Three hangers were destroyed and 2 sustained major damage at Okeechobee Airport.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Melbourne, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 24, 2:33 AM EST, 2 hours 27 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 333 AM EDT MON OCT 24 2005 .DISCUSSION... ...MAJOR HURRICANE WILMA ACCELERATING TOWARD FLORIDA... ...SIGNIFICANT AIRMASS CHANGE BEHIND WILMA WITH NEAR RECORD LOWS TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY MORNINGS... THROUGH TODAY...MAIN CONCERN THIS MORNING WILL BE THE CONTINUED TORNADO THREAT. SEVERAL CELLS INDICATING ROTATION ON KMLB DOPPLER RADAR AT 07Z. FURTHER TORNADO WARNINGS AND STATEMENTS ARE ANTICIPATED THIS MORNING. IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO THREAT...ONSET OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL OCCUR CLOSE TO SUNRISE WITH CONDITIONS WORSENING ACROSS EC FL THIS MORNING AS WILMA RACES NE ACROSS SOUTHERN PART OF THE STATE AFTER THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL ON THE SW FL COAST A LITTLE BEFORE SUNRISE. FLOODING WILL ALSO REMAIN A CONCERN WITH WILMA MOVING OVER THE PENINSULA...A SFC BOUNDARY STILL IN PLACE ACROSS THE CENTRAL PENINSULA AND STRONG UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE. FLOOD WATCH WILL CONTINUE UNTIL LATE THIS AFTERNOON. POPS ARE CATEGORICAL...TEMPS NOT EXPECTED TO RISE MUCH (IF ANY) FROM VALUES AROUND DAYBREAK. TONIGHT...STRONG COLD ADVECTION WILL DEVELOP AS WILMA MOVES RAPIDLY INTO THE NORTH ATLANTIC. GFS MOS HAS BEEN CONSISTENT IN SHOWING MORNING LOWS IN THE MID-UPPER 40S. OFFSHORE FLOW WILL ADVECT THIS AIR MASS ALL THE WAY TO THE COAST. THE COLD TEMPERATURES COMBINED WITH NORTHWEST WINDS AROUND 15 MPH WILL PRODUCE WIND CHILLS IN THE LOWER 40S. RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES FOR MCO...MLB AND VRB WILL LIKELY BE BROKEN. SEE CLIMATE SECTION BELOW. TUE-WED...SURFACE HIGH SLIDING OUT OF THE GREAT PLAINS INTO THE SOUTHEASTERN CONUS WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE A COOL NORTHWEST FLOW. ADDITIONAL RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES MAY BE BROKEN EARLY WED MORNING. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL STRUGGLE TO REACH THE 70 DEGREE MARK EACH DAY DESPITE THE DRY CONDITIONS AND MAINLY SUNNY SKIES. THU-SUN...LOW-LEVEL FLOW WILL BECOME ONSHORE AS THE SURFACE HIGH BUILDS ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST AND THE NORTHEAST. THIS WILL GENERATE SOME MARINE STRATOCU AND A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .CLIMATE... RECORD LOWS TUE: DAB 41 (1937) MCO 48 (1982) MLB 51 (1982) VRB 58 (1988) RECORD LOWS WED: DAB 44 (1982) MCO 47 (1982) MLB 48 (1990) VRB 49 (1990) && .MARINE...CONDITIONS RAPIDLY DETERIORATING THIS MORNING WITH HURRICANE CONDITIONS EXPECTED OVER THE SOUTH LEG AS WILMA EMERGES OFF THE EAST COAST. OFFSHORE FLOW WILL DEVELOP BEHIND WILMA MON AFTN AND PERSIST THRU TUE WITH GRADUALLY SUBSIDING WINDS AND SEAS. NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS WED AND THU WITH NO HEADLINES EXPECTED AT THIS TIME FOR MID TO LATE WEEK. && .AVIATION...WIDESPREAD IFR CONDITIONS DUE TO WILMA...SOME GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT STARTING THIS AFTERNOON...BECOMING VFR BY TONIGHT. && .FIRE WX...THE MUCH DRIER AIR MASS ADVECTING OVER THE REGION BEHIND WILMA MAY ALLOW RED FLAG CONDITIONS TO BE MET ON TUES/WED. WILL MENTION IN FWF DISCUSSION...AND LET DAY SHIFT ASSESS NEED TO ISSUE WATCHES OR FLAGS LATER TODAY. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DAB 69 49 67 49 / 90 0 0 0 MCO 70 47 68 46 / 90 0 0 0 MLB 72 46 70 45 / 100 0 0 0 VRB 76 48 72 47 / 100 0 0 0 && .MLB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ...HURRICANE WARNING FROM TITUSVILLE SOUTH TO JUPITER INLET. ...TROPICAL STORM WARNING FROM NORTH OF TITUSVILLE TO FLAGLER BEACH. ...INLAND HURRICANE WARNING FOR OKEECHOBEE AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES. ...INLAND TROPICAL STORM WARNING ORANGE...LAKE...SEMINOLE AND INTERIOR VOLUSIA COUNTIES. ...FLOOD WATCH ALL EC FL COUNTIES THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. ...TORNADO WATCH 837 ALL EC FL COUNTIES THROUGH 11 AM EDT. && SHORT-TERM...GLITTO LONG-TERM....HIRSCH
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 140 AM EDT MON OCT 24 2005 FLZ045-147-240645- NORTHERN BREVARD COUNTY-ORANGE- 140 AM EDT MON OCT 24 2005 ...STRONG STORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING ISOLATED TORNADOES...HIGH WINDS AND TORRENTIAL MOVING NORTH THROUGH EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA... OUTER RAIN BANDS NORTHEAST OF HURRICANE WILMA WERE MOVING THROUGH BREVARD...EASTERN ORANGE AND LAKE COUNTIES. THESE BANDS HAVE A HISTORY OF PRODUCING BRIEF TORNADOES AND TORRENTIAL RAIN. THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS THESE CELLS WILL MOVE QUICKLY TO THE NORTH INTO NORTHERN BREVARD...SEMINOLE AND VOLUSIA COUNTIES. THE NEXT OUTER RAIN BAND FROM HURRICANE WILMA WAS MOVING RAPIDLY NORTH FROM THE FLORIDA SOUTHWEST COAST AND WILL SWEEP INTO OKEECHOBEE AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES BY ABOUT 4 AM. THESE BANDS WILL PRODUCE MORE WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAINFALL AND WIND GUSTS TO 20 TO 30 MPH. DD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 335 AM EDT MON OCT 24 2005 AMZ550-555-570-575-FLZ041-044>047-053-054-058-059-064-141-144-147- 240900- COASTAL VOLUSIA-COCOA BEACH TO JUPITER INLET 20 NM TO 60 NM OFFSHORE- COCOA BEACH TO JUPITER INLET OUT TO 20 NM- FLAGLER BEACH TO COCOA BEACH 20 NM TO 60 NM OFFSHORE- FLAGLER BEACH TO COCOA BEACH OUT TO 20 NM-INDIAN RIVER- INLAND VOLUSIA-MARTIN-NORTHERN BREVARD-NORTHERN LAKE-OKEECHOBEE- ORANGE-OSCEOLA-SEMINOLE-SOUTHERN BREVARD-SOUTHERN LAKE-ST. LUCIE- 335 AM EDT MON OCT 24 2005 ...A HIGH THREAT FOR TORNADOES EXISTS... AT 330 PM EDT...SEVERAL THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA THAT WERE INCREASING IN POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE TORNADOES. THESE STORMS WERE OCCURRING FROM NEAR SANFORD AND ORLANDO...TO KISSIMMEE...TO HOLOPAW...TO NEAR MELBOURNE AND SATELLITE BEACH. MOVEMENT HAS BEEN TO THE NORTHWEST AT 20 MPH. THROUGH 5 AM...THE THREAT FOR TORNADOES WILL CONTINUE AS THE AREA OVER EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA FILLS IN WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AS WILMA MAKES ITS APPROACH. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE NORTH OF A LINE FROM VERO BEACH TO KISSIMMEE...ESPECIALLY ACROSS PARTS OF BREVARD...INDIAN RIVER...OSCEOLA...AND ORANGE COUNTIES. THIS INCLUDES THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. THE TORNADO THREAT WILL BE GRADUALLY INCREASING SOUTH OF THIS AREA WHEN ORGANIZED RAINBANDS BEGIN TO MORE DIRECTLY AFFECT THAT AREA. BE SURE TO CHECK HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENTS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MELBOURNE FOR COMPLETE UPDATES ON HURRICANE WILMA. DWS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 448 AM EDT MON OCT 24 2005 AMZ550-555-570-575-FLZ041-044>047-053-054-058-059-064-141-144-147- 241100- COASTAL VOLUSIA-COCOA BEACH TO JUPITER INLET 20 NM TO 60 NM OFFSHORE- COCOA BEACH TO JUPITER INLET OUT TO 20 NM- FLAGLER BEACH TO COCOA BEACH 20 NM TO 60 NM OFFSHORE- FLAGLER BEACH TO COCOA BEACH OUT TO 20 NM-INDIAN RIVER- INLAND VOLUSIA-MARTIN-NORTHERN BREVARD-NORTHERN LAKE-OKEECHOBEE- ORANGE-OSCEOLA-SEMINOLE-SOUTHERN BREVARD-SOUTHERN LAKE-ST. LUCIE- 448 AM EDT MON OCT 24 2005 ...A HIGH THREAT FOR TORNADOES EXISTS... AT 5 AM EDT...SEVERAL ROTATING TROPICAL RAIN STORMS WERE MOVING ON SHORE NEAR CAPE CANAVERAL AND EXTENDING ACROSS NORTHERN OSCEOLA AND ORANGE COUNTRIES. A NUMBER OF TORNADO WARNING HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR THESE STORMS BUT NONE HAVE BEEN REPORTED AT THIS TIME. BUT THE THREAT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE MID MORNING HOURS. WINDS MORE DIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE LANDFALL OF HURRICANE WILMA ARE BEING FELT ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA. WIND GUSTS FROM 30 TO 40 MPH HAVE BEEN REPORTED FROM MIAMI TO PALM BEACH. AS WILMA COMES ON SHORE IN SOUTH WEST FLORIDA AND TRACKS JUST SOUTH OF LAKE OKEECHOBEE TODAY...WIND GUSTS WILL INCREASE TO 40 TO 50 MPH MAINLY SOUTH OF ORLANDO AND CAPE CANAVERAL. HIGHER GUST TO NEAR HURRICANE STRENGTH WILL OCCUR IN THE STRONGER RAIN BANDS MAINLY NEAR THE CENTER OF WILMA. AS WINDS BECOME MORE ONSHORE TODAY...THE TORNADO THREAT WILL INCREASE. A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA THROUGH 5 AM. BE SURE TO CHECK HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENTS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MELBOURNE FOR COMPLETE UPDATES ON HURRICANE WILMA. DD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL 514 AM EDT MON OCT 24 2005 AMZ550-555-570-575-FLZ041-044>047-053-054-058-059-064-141-144-147- 241100- COASTAL VOLUSIA-COCOA BEACH TO JUPITER INLET 20 NM TO 60 NM OFFSHORE- COCOA BEACH TO JUPITER INLET OUT TO 20 NM- FLAGLER BEACH TO COCOA BEACH 20 NM TO 60 NM OFFSHORE- FLAGLER BEACH TO COCOA BEACH OUT TO 20 NM-INDIAN RIVER- INLAND VOLUSIA-MARTIN-NORTHERN BREVARD-NORTHERN LAKE-OKEECHOBEE- ORANGE-OSCEOLA-SEMINOLE-SOUTHERN BREVARD-SOUTHERN LAKE-ST. LUCIE- 514 AM EDT MON OCT 24 2005 ...A HIGH THREAT FOR TORNADOES EXISTS... AT 5 AM EDT...SEVERAL ROTATING TROPICAL RAIN STORMS WERE MOVING ON SHORE NEAR CAPE CANAVERAL AND EXTENDING ACROSS NORTHERN OSCEOLA AND ORANGE COUNTRIES. A NUMBER OF TORNADO WARNING HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR THESE STORMS BUT NONE HAVE BEEN REPORTED AT THIS TIME. BUT THE THREAT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE MID MORNING HOURS. WINDS MORE DIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE LANDFALL OF HURRICANE WILMA ARE BEING FELT ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA. WIND GUSTS FROM 30 TO 40 MPH HAVE BEEN REPORTED FROM MIAMI TO PALM BEACH. AS WILMA COMES ON SHORE IN SOUTH WEST FLORIDA AND TRACKS JUST SOUTH OF LAKE OKEECHOBEE TODAY...WIND GUSTS WILL INCREASE TO 40 TO 50 MPH MAINLY SOUTH OF ORLANDO AND CAPE CANAVERAL. HIGHER GUST TO NEAR HURRICANE STRENGTH WILL OCCUR IN THE STRONGER RAIN BANDS MAINLY NEAR THE CENTER OF WILMA. AS WINDS BECOME MORE ONSHORE TODAY...THE TORNADO THREAT WILL INCREASE. A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA THROUGH 11 AM. BE SURE TO CHECK HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENTS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MELBOURNE FOR COMPLETE UPDATES ON HURRICANE WILMA. DD
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, October 2005
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5477617.