Mexico's Caribbean resorts are submerged in water today after Hurricane Wilma roared through, smashing homes and killing at least six people, as the storm set a new course for Florida.
Three full days of howling hurricane winds and rain left towns along the coast badly flooded, and thousands of tourists spent their third night in dark stuffy refuges with no running water and food running short.
Hundreds of thousands of people suffered serious damage to their homes as the storm moved slowly over the Yucatan peninsula, knocking out power lines and tearing off roofs.
The long spit of white sand that draws planeloads of sun seekers to Cancun was under water. Luxury hotels were flooded and littered with debris after the normally tranquil sea off Quintana Roo state roared inland.
In Florida, hurricane warnings were in effect for the Florida Keys and along the state's west coast from Longboat Key southward and the east coast from Titusville south.
A hurricane warning was also in effect for Havana and western Cuba. Such warnings mean hurricane conditions are expected within 24 hours.
Wilma is due to hit Floriday by tomorrow. The eye of the storm drifted toward the northeast into the Gulf of Mexico this morning. It was moving about 4.8 kph but was expected to pick up speed in the next 24 hours, the US National Hurricane Center said.
At 10 am Irish time Wilma's maximum sustained winds were holding steady at 160 kph and some increase in strength was possible today. The storm ranked as a Category 2 hurricane on the five-stage Saffir-Simpson scale. Such a storm can cause moderate damage.
Florida authorities were taking no risks and ordered evacuations, starting with 80,000 residents of the vulnerable Florida Keys.
