Wilma mushrooms into Category 5 hurricane.

Publication: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (via Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service)

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COPYRIGHT 2005 South Florida Sun-Sentinal

Byline: Ken Kaye

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. _ Much of Florida went on high alert Wednesday, with the Keys ordering visitors to evacuate, as Wilma exploded into the most intense hurricane on record.

Still, a small ray of hope emerged: if Wilma rams into Mexico's Yucatan region, its anticipated right turn toward Florida could be significantly altered and the system's strength could be considerably weakened, the National Hurricane Center in Miami-Dade County said.

"If it goes just 20 or 30 miles inland, the core could be destroyed," said hurricane specialist Stacy Stewart. "A lot will depend on the exact track."

Late on Wednesday, Category 5 Wilma was in the Caribbean, about 235 miles southeast of Cozumel, Mexico, slowly churning northwest at 7 mph with sustained winds of 160 mph. Earlier, its internal pressure dropped to 882 millibars, the...

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