THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, October 9, 1995 TAG: 9510090027
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE STONE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 43 lines
As one storm faded, another formed Sunday.
Tropical Depression 19 is the new performer on the crowded stage of the 1995 Atlantic hurricane season.
The storm came together Sunday from a broad area of turbulent weather in the western Caribbean Sea, just off the coast of Honduras.
At 5 p.m., the storm was about 395 miles southeast of Cozumel, Mexico, and moving north-northwest at 7 mph with sustained winds near 35 mph.
The National Hurricane Center expects the storm to move northwest to the Yucatan Peninsula by Tuesday and cross into the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday. Hurricane Opal, which wrecked Florida's Gulf coast last week, made a similar pass over the Yucatan as it was forming. It then wandered the Gulf for several days before speeding north and intensifying.
``We'll have to watch this one very carefully'' all week, said Bill Keneely of The Weather Channel in Atlanta. ``At the very least, a lot of rain will fall on a very saturated Florida Peninsula.''
Rain bands and clouds associated with the depression extended north, feeding tropical moisture into a low pressure system over Florida on Sunday which was producing copious amounts of rain.
Extensive flooding was reported in Lee County where the Imperial River overflowed its banks. Many roads, including Interstate 75, were closed by floodwaters and mandatory evacuations had forced several thousand people from their homes.
Depression 19 is expected to intensify, possibly reaching tropical storm strength with sustained winds of more than 39 mph today or Tuesday. If it were to strengthen, it would become Roxanne, this year's 17th tropical storm.
As forecasters turned their eyes to the new storm, Pablo lost its punch after days of pummeling from strong westerly winds.
Those 30 mph winds were heading east into Pablo as it raced west at 20 mph. The effect was a 50-mph wind shear that blasted Pablo to bits. by CNB