Hurricane grounds Florida flights

BRITISH Airways cancelled two flights to Florida last night, as150mph Hurricane Floyd threatened the eastern seaboard of the UnitedStates, forcing the state governor to declare a state of emergency.

A BA spokesman said that two fully booked Boeing 747 jumbo jets,which were due to leave Heathrow and Gatwick airports for Miamitoday, had been grounded. A return flight to Britain from Miami hadalso been halted.

The spokesman said: "Passengers should contact us or their travelagent for alternative arrangements."

Although Floyd is still about 450 miles east of the Florida coast,it is gathering speed and could soon become a Category 5 hurricane,capable of causing extreme damage if it reaches hits land.

Floyd was last night on course to strike land in central Floridatoday, although it may turn north, either skimming the coast orstriking Georgia and the Carolinas. The most immediate danger lastnight was to the Bahamas, with Floyd expected to pass within 120miles of Nassau, the Bahamian capital, late last night or earlytoday.

Floyd's hurricane force winds extended up to 105 miles from itscentre, with tropical storm force winds stretching to 290 miles away,the national hurricane centre in Miami said.

Keith Betton, of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA),said that flights or holidays to the Bahamas leaving in the next dayor so could be affected. "We have had no reports of cancellationsbut anyone leaving in the next 48 hours should check with their touroperator before going," he said.

A Foreign Office spokesman said that no specific travel advice hadbeen issued for Britons heading to the region, but that people shouldobserve local warnings.

"We all remember Hurricane Andrew and all the damage it caused insouth Florida in 1992," the state governor, Jeb Bush, said."Hurricane Floyd is almost three times the physical size of Andrew -three times.

"I cannot emphasise enough how important it is for those who liveon the east coast of our state to take this storm seriously and doeverything they can now to prepare to evacuate. You cannot be tooprepared for this storm." Mr Bush was in Miami when it was hit byHurricane Andrew, which killed 36 people.

A Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir Simpson scale, which runsfrom one to five, is strong enough to tear roofs off small homes,damage doors and windows, tear down trees and signs, destroy mobilehomes and cause severe flooding.

"It's capable of almost catastrophic destruction," said ToddKimberlain, a forecaster at the hurricane centre.

The storm's size made it especially troublesome. "You can justimagine {Floyd's} infrared image superimposed over the state ofFlorida and you get some idea how big this is," Mr deVanas said."This really is, to some extent, Andrew's big brother."

The Florida insurance commissioner, Bill Nelson, said he hadordered claims adjusters to be prepared to enter the area if needed.Big insurers were sending in teams in preparation for the storm'slandfall.

Stung by catastrophic losses after Hurricane Andrew, the state hasaccess to more than $11 billion in cash and bonds to bolster privateinsurers if losses are larger than the insurance industry's abilityto pay.

Officials from the Florida national guard said they had called uparmy and air force staff. The Florida guard has 12,000 members.

Earlier Floyd was joined by Tropical Storm Gert, which formedmidway between Africa and Barbados. Forecasters said that it wasgathering strength quickly and could become a hurricane today.

Hurricane grounds Florida flights

BRITISH Airways cancelled two flights to Florida last night, as150mph Hurricane Floyd threatened the eastern seaboard of the UnitedStates, forcing the state governor to declare a state of emergency.

A BA spokesman said that two fully booked Boeing 747 jumbo jets,which were due to leave Heathrow and Gatwick airports for Miamitoday, had been grounded. A return flight to Britain from Miami hadalso been halted.

The spokesman said: "Passengers should contact us or their travelagent for alternative arrangements."

Although Floyd is still about 450 miles east of the Florida coast,it is gathering speed and could soon become a Category 5 hurricane,capable of causing extreme damage if it reaches hits land.

Floyd was last night on course to strike land in central Floridatoday, although it may turn north, either skimming the coast orstriking Georgia and the Carolinas. The most immediate danger lastnight was to the Bahamas, with Floyd expected to pass within 120miles of Nassau, the Bahamian capital, late last night or earlytoday.

Floyd's hurricane force winds extended up to 105 miles from itscentre, with tropical storm force winds stretching to 290 miles away,the national hurricane centre in Miami said.

Keith Betton, of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA),said that flights or holidays to the Bahamas leaving in the next dayor so could be affected. "We have had no reports of cancellationsbut anyone leaving in the next 48 hours should check with their touroperator before going," he said.

A Foreign Office spokesman said that no specific travel advice hadbeen issued for Britons heading to the region, but that people shouldobserve local warnings.

"We all remember Hurricane Andrew and all the damage it caused insouth Florida in 1992," the state governor, Jeb Bush, said."Hurricane Floyd is almost three times the physical size of Andrew -three times.

"I cannot emphasise enough how important it is for those who liveon the east coast of our state to take this storm seriously and doeverything they can now to prepare to evacuate. You cannot be tooprepared for this storm." Mr Bush was in Miami when it was hit byHurricane Andrew, which killed 36 people.

A Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir Simpson scale, which runsfrom one to five, is strong enough to tear roofs off small homes,damage doors and windows, tear down trees and signs, destroy mobilehomes and cause severe flooding.

"It's capable of almost catastrophic destruction," said ToddKimberlain, a forecaster at the hurricane centre.

The storm's size made it especially troublesome. "You can justimagine {Floyd's} infrared image superimposed over the state ofFlorida and you get some idea how big this is," Mr deVanas said."This really is, to some extent, Andrew's big brother."

The Florida insurance commissioner, Bill Nelson, said he hadordered claims adjusters to be prepared to enter the area if needed.Big insurers were sending in teams in preparation for the storm'slandfall.

Stung by catastrophic losses after Hurricane Andrew, the state hasaccess to more than $11 billion in cash and bonds to bolster privateinsurers if losses are larger than the insurance industry's abilityto pay.

Officials from the Florida national guard said they had called uparmy and air force staff. The Florida guard has 12,000 members.

Earlier Floyd was joined by Tropical Storm Gert, which formedmidway between Africa and Barbados. Forecasters said that it wasgathering strength quickly and could become a hurricane today.