Tracking Wilma: On the Road With Bill Ward

Naples: The Aftermath

2005-10-24T20:13:37-05:00

[4 p.m.] In less than 12 hours, Naples went from being one of the most finely-manicured cities anywhere to one of the world’s largest brush and tree limb dumps. I didn’t see a single home in Naples or on its beach that didn’t lose at least one tree or bush. Some…

What a Mess

2005-10-24T18:46:51-05:00

[2 p.m.] On the 17-mile drive from Bonita Springs to Naples Beach, I couldn’t believe the number of trees that had been uprooted or snapped like twigs by Wilma’s winds. They will be cleaning up this stretch of US 41 for months. It seemed to me that anything planted by man…

No Pizza Today

2005-10-24T14:13:31-05:00

[10:30 a.m.] In Bonita Springs along US 41, there is debris literally everywhere â€“ tree limbs, awnings, lumber, garbage, business signs and anything else that couldnâ€™t handle Wilmaâ€™s wrath. Everywhere you look there are uprooted trees or recently-planted trees bent at dramatic angles. There is going to be a rat-load of…

Some call him “El Loco”

2005-10-24T13:21:49-05:00

[8:30 a.m.] People here at my hotel are doing the best they can without power. You need flashlights just to walk down the hall and stairwell. The wind was blowing so hard, it pushed off the plastic cover of my air conditioning unit. There’s still some hot water but the hotel…

Wilma Arrives in Force

2005-10-24T11:13:10-05:00

[7 a.m.] The power went out at 4:35 a.m. here at my hotel on US 41 in Bonita Springs and once it came light, you finally could see the incredible force Wilma is packing. We’re supposedly on the weaker, backside of this hurricane but you could have fooled me. Looking outside,…

Pardon the intrusion, sir, but why are you wearing that chicken costume?

2005-10-24T06:06:17-05:00

[2:30 a.m.] OK, this was so weird, I had to share it with someone—like the entire world on the Internet. I’m sitting in my hotel room, in the middle of a hurricane, talking to an editor back at the Tribune. And into my room walks this young guy with his suitcase…

Landfall approaches

2005-10-24T05:08:42-05:00

[2 a.m.] After days of relative calm, Wilma is finally lashing us here in Bonita Springs in the early morning hours of Monday. We’re getting strong winds and heavy rain, just like they predicted for southwest Florida. But Wilma is so gargantuan that she’s blasting nearly the entire Florida peninsula. With…

Wilma’s In Charge

2005-10-24T02:33:06-05:00

[11 p.m.] After spending the day in Naples, I’ve switched base camp to a hotel about 12 miles north in Bonita Springs. The place is booked solid with all sorts of people—locals, tourists, kids and even pets. I just switched on the Weather Channel and meteorologist Paul Goodloe looks a little…

Picking Up the Pace

2005-10-23T21:30:03-05:00

[5:30 p.m.] As Wilma finally picked up speed and made that long-awaited northeast turn toward Florida, many locals here in Naples have finally picked up the pace and seem to have a sense of urgency. It’s been a weird 12 hours or so here. The day started sunny and warm. People…

Naples Beach: Let the Media Circus Begin

2005-10-23T16:31:17-05:00

[11:30 a.m.] So far on my journey down Florida’s west coast, I’ve been just about the only goober with cameras. But today in Naples, it appears I have hit the epicenter of the Hurricane Wilma action—well, at least in terms of how many TV trucks and cameras are here. Thing is,…