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CNN Sunday Morning

Hurricane Michelle Brings Heavy Rain to Florida

Aired November 04, 2001 - 07:54   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get an update now on Hurricane Michelle. Here's meteorologist Jill Brown with the latest.

Hi Jill.

JILL BROWN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Jeanne.

We have rain coming in to Florida. Not expecting a direct hit from Hurricane Michelle, but hurricane warnings are in effect. We're expecting, really, hurricane-force wind gusts on occasion; also for the Florida Keys, and evacuations are in progress right now. Obviously, the rains already here.

Winds are gusting to about 30 miles per hour. At last check in Miami, no rain was reported, but we did already have some wind gusts to 25 to 30 miles per hour.

And we can take a look at some scenes this morning, right now, out of Hollywood Beach in Florida, East Coast, and you can see the clouds -- don't have it -- we don't have it. But we do have gusty winds -- we do have it, there you go. Looks like this was -- I guess this is this morning? It's tape from yesterday.

Winds already bringing some of the waves in. So we may hear about some beach erosion. We're definitely going to have some stronger winds as the day wears on and tonight. Should be improving tomorrow as this hurricane is expected to move away.

That is windy out there. You can see that, again, the rain just about to come into Miami. Florida, not expecting a direct hit, but already bracing for the storm and making some preparations anyway.

Let me show you where we will see a direct hit. We do believe that will be Cuba. And you can see how close the hurricane is. It's a Category Four out of five on the Saffir Simpson Scale. So, very strong hurricane; 135 mile per hour winds. It's not expected to strengthen any more, but it's expecting to weaken, either, before it makes landfall.

So the worst of it will be south coast of Cuba, Isle of Youth may see a very close brush from this hurricane. It looks like it'll be mainly to the east. We'll have to watch that. That's over the next few hours. Later this afternoon crossing Cuba, some -- picking up a little speed, moving northeast at 12 miles per hour. And it should continue to pick up speed, although not gain strength as it moves across Cuba, back in the Florida Straights, and up through the Bahamas.

So we'll be watching a very strong Hurricane Michelle, and watching to see what kind of effects we'll expect here in the U.S. mainland today and tomorrow.

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