Overpass supposedly collapses near Dolphin Expressway (Updated)

[arnoldu]

My prayers are with you guys atriot:

 

[njfinfan]

Agreed. Hang in there. We're thinking about you guys down there. That said, let's have some football!

Seriously, take care of yourselves and your families - just trying to lighten things up.

 

[njfinfan]

Here's the latest advisory as of about an hour ago.

000
WTNT32 KNHC 260851
TCPAT2
BULLETIN
HURRICANE KATRINA ADVISORY NUMBER 11
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
5 AM EDT FRI AUG 26 2005

...KATRINA REGAINS HURRICANE STATUS OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO...

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE FLORIDA KEYS
AND FLORIDA BAY FROM DRY TORTUGAS NORTHWARD... ALONG THE EAST COAST
OF FLORIDA FROM FLORIDA CITY NORTHWARD TO DEERFIELD BEACH... AND
ALONG THE GULF COAST OF FLORIDA FROM SOUTH OF FLORIDA CITY WESTWARD
AND NORTHWARD TO LONGBOAT KEY. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT
TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA
WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF THE FLORIDA
WEST COAST FROM NORTH OF LONGBOAT KEY TO ANCLOTE KEY. A TROPICAL
STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE
WITHIN THE WATCH AREA... GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 5 AM EDT...0900Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 25.3 NORTH... LONGITUDE 81.5 WEST OR ABOUT 50
MILES... 85 KM... NORTH-NORTHEAST OF KEY WEST FLORIDA.

KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 5 MPH... 7 KM/HR... AND THIS
MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS... WITH A
SLIGHT INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 75 MPH... 120 KM/HR... WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. KATRINA IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
SCALE. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 25 MILES... 35 KM...
FROM THE CENTER... AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 85 MILES... 140 KM.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 987 MB...29.15 INCHES.

STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...
CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA IN AREAS OF ONSHORE
FLOW SOUTH OF VENICE... AND IN FLORIDA BAY. STORM SURGE SHOULD
CONTINUE TO DECREASE THIS MORNING ALONG THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA.

KATRINA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OF 5 TO 8 INCHES
OVER EXTREME SOUTHERN FLORIDA AND THE FLORIDA KEYS. ISOLATED STORM
TOTAL AMOUNTS OF 15 TO 20 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE.

ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE TODAY OVER SOUTHERN FLORIDA AND THE
FLORIDA KEYS.

REPEATING THE 5 AM EDT POSITION...25.3 N... 81.5 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...WEST NEAR 5 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS... 75 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 987 MB.

INTERMEDIATE ADVISORIES WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER AT 7 AM EDT AND 9 AM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE
ADVISORY AT 11 AM EDT.

 

[touborg]

Stay safe guys.

 

[ASCII]

Wishes and prayers sent from PA down to Florida.

 

[Gunner]

Pertinent because its in Doral, somewhat near Dolphins Stadium. Stay tuned on this one folks.

UPDATE EDIT

MIAMI (AP) Miami-Dade Fire rescue units are trying to rush to the Dolphin Expressway in the Doral area, after an overpass under construction at 97Th avenue apparently collapsed onto the county’s busiest east-west artery. Hurricane Katrina is dumping sheets of rain, kicking up the surf and blowing strong winds ashore, killing two people who were hit by falling trees.
There is no information about possible injuries in the overpass collapse, but there apparently was traffic on the roadway when the incident happened. The storm surprised forecasters by taking a turn south when it moved over land, slicing across Miami-dade County. In a bit of irony, the storm's eye pased over the National Hurricane Center in West Miami-Dade.
Authorities say the first fatality occurred in Fort Lauderdale when a man said to be in his 20s was crushed by a falling tree as he sat alone in his car near a high school. The second fatality was a pedestrian struck by a falling tree in the Fort Lauderdale suburb of Plantation.

My heart goes out to those people down there, I know all to well what its like after going thru Ivan & Dennis up here in Pensacola. Lets just hope no one was on on that bridge when it fell. :cry:

 

[WharfRat]

Picture from CNN.com
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/08/26/tropical.weather/index.html

Ouch!

Stay safe down there folks....

 

[Lloyd Heilbrunn]

Everybody was underestimating this thing. And why not?? After what the state went thru last year, a Category 1 sounds almost like a blessing.

But even this Category 1 storm has managed to kill people, cause damage and leave millions without power within hours of landfall.

I suspect the problem is that despite all the fraudulent claims, Dade and Broward were not hit very hard last year.Therefore, all the trees had yet to be knocked down on powerlines etc. Unlike here in PB Cty where in the second storm somewhat less damage was done since that had already happened in Frances....

 

[Dolphins561]

This storm was coming right at me all day, then at the last minute, took a left turn down through Miami. Coral Gables is under water, and my friend's mini cooper is under water! The game is still on, the area around the stadium is good... The sun is already shining!

 

[Lungoystr]

lets hope it blows itself out without too much more damage...Strange, have been watching the Atlanta Falcons playing the Jags in Jacksonville and it is been teeming down rain for quite awhile in Jax and here in Orlando we haven't had a drop. Forcast here is for rain for the entire next week...so far nothing...I guess the worst is yet to come....Losing power is no fun, even with a generator...It's still ungodly hot...here's hoping (and praying) Katrina weakens and goes away quietly......

FRAN! Haven't seen you in a while! How's it going? I just got home from the hospital (I'm on the Before/During shift) and have found that the castle has weathered yet another storm. I'm afraid that, much like our Phins, I am beating the odds and they will finally catch up with me (again, much like our Phins last season). But hey, we are a tough crew here in South Florida and no matter what mother nature or the NFL sends us, we can handle it. We may not LIKE what we are dealt, but we will rise above it. Take care Fran. I also hope that this response finds everyone down here in South FL healthy and safe.

 

[DrAstroZoom]

Hang in there, people. The Doc is thinking about you.

 

[njfinfan]

The game is still on, the area around the stadium is good... The sun is already shining!

Now THAT'S the best news I've heard all day. Thanks. :D

 

[Lungoystr]

I suspect the problem is that despite all the fraudulent claims, Dade and Broward were not hit very hard last year.Therefore, all the trees had yet to be knocked down on powerlines etc. Unlike here in PB Cty where in the second storm somewhat less damage was done since that had already happened in Frances....

True, Broward and Miami/Dade never took a direct hit last year PLUS we were on the "clean" side of the storms. This storm took everyone by surprise, which meant very little preparation. It also moved fairly quickly and it's track was very unusual. There was very little that was predictable about Katrina.

 

[nick1]

Whew GL to everyone whom has been hit with Katrina. Hope the games not canceled, and wish you all luck...

it won't be, this was a very minor Hurricane and I'm surprised by the damage it has caused

 

[PHINBRED]

This storm was coming right at me all day, then at the last minute, took a left turn down through Miami. Coral Gables is under water, and my friend's mini cooper is under water! The game is still on, the area around the stadium is good... The sun is already shining!

AWESOME VAN!!!!