Florida and Caribbean Brace as Two Storms Advance Simultaneously

Two simultaneous storm systems threatened the Caribbean and the US Gulf Coast in August 2004, prompting widespread evacuations and official alerts across several areas.

Tropical storm Bonnie, churning through the Gulf of Mexico, prompted ChevronTexaco to pull roughly 630 workers from 15 oil platforms and two drilling rigs in the central and eastern Gulf. The company also halted more than 67,500 barrels of daily oil output and over 107,600 million cubic feet of natural gas production. Officials expected Bonnie to come ashore Thursday morning along the Florida Panhandle.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Charley strengthened as it crossed the Caribbean, packing winds near 120 kilometers per hour. At 2 p.m. local time Wednesday, its center was roughly 150 kilometers south of Kingston, Jamaica, tracking west-northwest. A hurricane warning was in effect for the Cayman Islands, while Cuba, Jamaica, and the Florida Keys all faced hurricane watches.

The US Coast Guard advised mariners to monitor both storms closely and seek drawbridge passage well before gale-force winds arrived.

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in August 2004, in its own words.