KEY WEST, Fla. - Izikhulu zaseFlorida Keys zivale izikole, zavula izindawo zokukhosela futhi zanxusa izivakashi ukuthi zihambe njengoba iTropical Storm Fay isongela ukuqinisa isiphepho ngeSonto, kodwa izakhamuzi kanye nezivakashi babonakala bengajahile ukuphuma.

I-traffic ihlale ilula ishiya i-Key West kanye ne-Lower Keys ngeSonto ntambama njengoba isibhakabhaka simnyama ngenxa yamafu esiphepho kanye ne-National Weather Service ikhiphe amawashi nezixwayiso.

“Sibone okubi kakhulu kunalokhu e-Omaha,” kusho u-Diego Sainz, owayevakashe evela e-Nebraska nomkakhe nabangane. Babehlose ukuhamba ngeSonto kodwa bangakwazi ukuthola indiza yokuphuma.

Iziphathimandla zithe izimoto ziya ziningi e-Upper Keys, lapho umgwaqo ongamakhilomitha angu-110, iningi lawo okuyimizila emibili onqamula uchungechunge lweziqhingi uhlangana nezwekazi. I-Florida Highway Patrol yathumela amasosha engeziwe ukuba ayosiza kanti nemigwaqo ekhokhelwayo yamiswa ezingxenyeni ezithile zomgwaqo obheke enyakatho.

I-Fay ingase iqale ukuphonsa izingxenye ze-Keys kanye ne-South Florida ngasekupheleni kwangoMsombuluko noma ekuqaleni kukaLwesibili njengesiphepho esinamandla esishisayo noma isiphepho esincane. Ngaphandle kokulimala komoya, iziqhingi eziningi zihlala ezingeni lolwandle futhi zingabhekana nezikhukhula ezilinganiselwe ezivela ekuqhumeni kwesiphepho sikaFay.

Izikhulu zakwa-Keys nakwezinye izindawo zahlela ukuvula izindawo zokukhosela futhi zakhuthaza noma zayala abantu abahlala ezindaweni eziphansi nasezikebheni ukuba baphume. Izikole ezikoKey zizovalwa ngoMsombuluko nangoLwesibili.

Izikhulu zikaKeys phambilini ngeSonto bezikhiphe umyalelo wokuba izivakashi ziphume futhi zacela labo abebengakafiki ukuthi bahlehlise uhambo lwazo. Izikhulu zithe amahhotela namabhizinisi ngeke baphoqeleke ukuthi basuse izivakashi, kodwa kufanele basebenzise ingqondo.

I-Fay, okuyisiphepho sesithupha sesizini yase-Atlantic ka-2008, yathatha umfutho ngeSonto ntambama njengoba ilibangise eCuba, kanti kungenzeka kube isiphepho ngesikhathi ifika enkabeni yesiqhingi, kusho izibikezelo. UFay usebulale okungenani abantu abahlanu ngemuva kokushaya iHaiti neDominican Republic ngezimvula ezinamandla nezikhukhula ngezimpelasonto.

Ngo-5 pm EDT ngeSonto, isikhungo sika-Fay sasitholakala cishe ngamamayela angu-270 eningizimu-mpumalanga ye-Key West futhi siya entshonalanga-nyakatho-ntshonalanga eduze ne-15 mph. Isivunguvungu sasinemimoya ephakeme eqinile eduze kwe-50 mph ne-gusting ethile.

Izibikezelo ngeSonto ntambama zashintsha ithrekhi yazo zaya ngasentshonalanga, kodwa amaKeys asengathinteka. UFay bekusabikezelwe ukuthi uzokhuphukela ogwini olusentshonalanga yeFlorida, kodwa angahlala emanzini avulekile isikhathi eside, kusho uCorey Walton, isazi sezulu esisekela isiphepho. UFay cishe ngeke adabule ingxenye enkulu yenhlonhlo yaseFlorida njengoba bekucatshangwa ekuqaleni, kodwa izwe lizothintwa imimoya yalo.

Amanye amabhizinisi ase-Key West aqale ukuvala iziphepho ngeSonto, kodwa izivakashi nezakhamuzi bezisaqhubeka nokuhamba edolobheni ngokuvilapha, lapho isimo sezulu sishintshana sisuka kunelanga sibe nezimvula ezinamandla nezinomoya omncane. NgeSonto kusihlwa, kwakusabukeka njengosuku oluvamile lwasehlobo e-Keys.

USinz nomngane uRon Norgard, naye wase-Omaha, babehlala ngaphandle kwehhotela iLa Concha eKey West ezihlalweni ezinyakazayo, bebhema ugwayi futhi belinde amakhosikazi abo ukuthi abuye ezitolo.

Akekho noyedwa owayebonakala ekhathazeke kakhulu.

"Yebo, sisanda kuba nesiphepho esinemimoya engu-105 mph sibuyela ekhaya," kusho uNorgard.

USinz wenza ihlaya ukuthi uzokhokhisa uHulumeni waseFlorida uCharlie Crist ngemali eyengeziwe umkakhe ayeyisebenzisa ezitolo ngoba babengakwazi ukuhamba.

“Kuzofanele akhokhe,” ehleka.

UCrist umemezele isimo esiphuthumayo ngoMgqibelo njengoba kuvulwe isikhungo semisebenzi yezimo eziphuthumayo eTallahassee. Unxuse abantu baseFloridians ukuthi "bazole, bahlale beqaphile" wathi amasosha angama-9,000 500 aseFlorida National Guard akhona, kodwa angama-XNUMX kuphela abesemsebenzini ngeSonto.

UMaria Perez, 50, waseKey West, uthandaze ngeSonto endaweni engcwele yasedolobheni eyaziwa ngokuthi i-Grotto, lapho umbhalo oqoshiwe etsheni ufundeka kanje, “Inqobo nje uma iGrotto isekhona, iKey West ngeke iphinde ibhekane nesiphepho esinamandla.” Yakhiwa ngo-1922 izindela ngaphandle kwesonto lamaRoma Katolika, eminyakeni emithathu ngemva kwesiphepho esiyinhlekelele. Kuze kube manje, ukunxusa okuneminyaka engu-86 sekusebenzile.

"Ngithandazela ukuthi kungabi naso isiphepho," kusho uPerez. “Angesabi.”

Iwashi lesiphepho belisebenza kuma-Keys amaningi kanye nasogwini olusentshonalanga ye-Florida ukuya e-Tarpon Springs. Iwashi lesiphepho esishisayo belisebenza ogwini oluseningizimu-mpumalanga ye-Florida ukusuka e-Ocean Reef enyakatho kuya ku-Jupiter Inlet.

Izibikezelo zithe isamba semvula esingamayintshi angu-4 kuya kwangu-6 namanani aphezulu angama-intshi angu-10 kungenzeka eFlorida Keys naseNingizimu Florida.

Endaweni yaseTampa Bay, izakhamuzi zathenga amapulangwe, amanzi, amabhethri engeziwe, amajeneretha namakhandlela. IMenenja yeDepho Yasekhaya uTony Quillen uthe isitolo sakhe sasePinellas Park sase siphelelwe amanzi ngo-9 ekuseni, ngemva kwamahora amabili sivuliwe, kodwa ubelindele ukuthi kuphinde kutholakale amanzi ntambama.

"Abantu badlala emakhanda abo, uma kubhekwa okwenzeka okokugcina," kusho uQuillen, ekhuluma ngeziphepho ezihlanganisa uCharley ngo-2004, isiphepho se-Category 4.

I-Key West yagcina ukuthinteka kabi yisiphepho ngo-2005, lapho isigaba sesi-3 i-Wilma sidlula ngesivinini. Idolobha lasinda emonakalweni womoya, kodwa isiphepho sakhukhula amakhulu emizi namabhizinisi athile. Isiphepho esiyingozi kunazo zonke esake sahlasela lesi siqhingi kwakuyisiphepho seSigaba 4 ngo-1919 esabulala abantu abangaba ngu-900, abaningi babo ababengaphesheya kolwandle emikhunjini eyacwila.

ISiphepho Sosuku Lwezisebenzi Lwesigaba sesi-5 sango-1935 sadlula phakathi kwe-Keys, sabulala abantu abangaphezu kuka-400, ngaphezu kwengxenye yabo ababengamaqhawe eMpi Yezwe I ababehlala emakamu okuhlunyeleliswa kwezimilo.

LOKHO ONGAKUTHATHE KULESI SIHLOKO:

Maria Perez, 50, of Key West, prayed Sunday at a town shrine known as The Grotto, where an etching on a stone reads, “As long as the Grotto stands, Key West will never again experience the full brunt of a hurricane.
Fay, the sixth storm of the 2008 Atlantic season, picked up some momentum Sunday afternoon as it headed toward Cuba, and could be a hurricane by the time it reaches the island’s center, forecasters said.
Officials in the Keys and elsewhere planned to open shelters and encouraged or ordered people who live in low-lying areas and on boats to evacuate.