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Hurricane Wilma blog
Editor's note: The Hurricane Wilma blog is compiled by CNN reporters and producers covering the storm.  One of several CNN vehicles in Florida, ready to be used in covering Hurricane Wilma. RELATEDSPECIAL REPORTYOUR E-MAIL ALERTSReady to roll Sunday, October 23; Posted 8 p.m. ET Today the crew assigned to Hurricane One (CNN's SUV equipped with satellite technology that allows us to broadcast while we're on the move) assembled for the first time in the Naples hotel that will be our starting point. We are kind of a strange sight going down the road. Hurricane One has two antennas (that look like giant, upside-down salad bowls) attached to the top. The plan is for four people (reporter, producer, photographer and engineer) to ride in that, and I will follow in the chase vehicle. That SUV has 25 gallons of gas in 5-gallon cans tied down to its roof. Inside we have several days worth of non-perishable food -- tuna, mixed nuts, Beef-A-Roni and canned stew that can be eaten cold (it doesn't taste as bad as it sounds), and lots of bottled water. When you are working on a hurricane you can't go through a drive-through for lunch. Tonight we went to what just might have been the only restaurant open in town. It was packed. The food, however, was good and we got a chance to talk to some of the locals that are staying to ride out the storm. One man told us he didn't think it was going to be as bad as Hurricane Charley, and since it was just him and his wife, they were going to stay. Over dinner we discussed the plan for tomorrow. We are going to head east and follow the storm across the state, doing live shots along the way. We're starting super early tomorrow. Good night. Humor and determinationSunday, October 23; Posted 3:48 p.m. ET On nearly deserted Marco Island storm humor goes hand in hand with storm preparation. A sign on one shuttered business: "Wilma is mad as hell. Fred left her for Barney." At the Marco Island Catholic Church, there was a bit of humor in the Sunday homily as well. Attendance at the 10:30 a.m. Mass was sparse because a mandatory evacuation order, the priest making light of a line in the morning readings about Christ's compassion for "aliens" from other places. "We are all aliens here this morning," said Father Tim Navin. "We are all supposed to be some place other than Marco Island as of 8 o'clock this morning. We are supposed to be on the other side of the border. If you want to get to the other side of the border. There will be buses leaving from the post office until noon." Most businesses were closed, but CNN caught up with Denise Horvat as she worked one more shift at the Breakfast Plus café, where the morning talk over eggs and coffee was whether to comply with the evacuation order. "It's a big scare but sometimes you got to listen to it and go," Horvat said. "So by afternoon I will be going." For good reason it appears. At the morning meeting at Marco Island's emergency operations center, Fire Chief Mike Murphy said the latest tracking update had Wilma aiming directly for Marco Island, with winds expected to top 100 mph and a storm surge of up to 9 feet, down a bit from some previous estimates of up to 14 feet. "All the modeling everything indicates it is still staying on target with us,'' Murphy said. "The [state Emergency Operations Center] indicated Marco Island as the direct hit." It is a town now known for million-dollar coastal homes and condominiums and pricey yachts, with about 16,000 year-round residents and about 20,000 on hand when the evacuation orders went out. Not since 1960 has a hurricane hit directly from the west, according to City Manager Bill Moss, who told CNN about 90 percent of those on the island had evacuated voluntarily. "There are still too many people on the island," Moss said. "We're an island. We're surrounded by water. There is going to be a lot of water and likely the total disruption of all utilities." Nudging the holdouts was Sunday's urgent priority. CNN drove with Marco Island detective Linda Guerrero as she focused on Latino neighborhoods, blaring her siren and then reading a notice about the evacuation and shelter options over a loudspeaker system attached to her police radio. "Morning wake up call," she joked as she made a handful of stops, each time reading a warning that urged residents to leave, telling them where they could get free transportation and urging them to check local television stations for additional information. Gearing upSaturday, October 22; Posted 7:36 p.m. ET We, along with the officials here, still don't know when Wilma will actually hit. But it looks like people here are taking the evacuations seriously for the most part. About 70,000 people west and south of U.S. Highway 41 were told to get out. Collier County officials estimated that as of Friday, 30 percent already have. Other people I talked with, though, are waiting to see if this storm actually makes landfall here. Still, they are preparing -- gassing up, buying food and water, etc. I went to a grocery store today and it was bustling. I also found a couple of gas stations that already were out of gas, although the governor says the state has plenty. The county spokesperson told me parts of Naples is only 4 feet above sea level, so even a Category 1 hurricane could bring serious damage. They're not so much worried about the rain, since this storm will likely be a fast mover by the time it reaches Florida. They're more concerned about storm surge and wind. People here are crossing their fingers that Wilma doesn't hit at high tide, but it looks like it just might, which will just make matters worse. I also ran into a Red Cross volunteer who says its mobilizing to run shelters that will open Sunday morning. This morning the county commissioners met and decided to impose a curfew starting Sunday night. Schools and government offices will be closed on Monday. As far as me and my crew, today is a prep day. The crew staked out a location to go live for tomorrow. It's near the beach, so it has my producer a bit worried. She thinks it might be too dangerous. We'll see. Otherwise, I feel like we're pretty prepared. We've stocked up and we're ready to go. We saw a big burst of rain yesterday and off and on showers from the outer wisps of Wilma. Today, it's just been mainly cloudy. I got some time to do some research and rest up for what could be a big day tomorrow. Meanwhile, we're keeping our fingers crossed for this community, that Wilma loses steam as it inches along. 
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