Back in 2005, Hurricane Wilma did not actually cancel the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, but the 46th annual event was delayed a week and shortened by a day.
Many exhibitors lost money forced to carry on despite the fact that few visitors from overseas were able to attend and locally visitors numbers were greatly reduced as authorities worked hard putting a severely damaged Fort Lauderdale back together again.
Could 2014 see a re run?
Disturbance forty eight has just formed over southern Mexico and it is already starting to spread enhanced showers and storms over the Bay of Campeche.
From a storm warning advisory issued by superyacht managers Watkins Superyachts, we learn that this is expected to move out over the Bay of Campeche tomorrow. At the same time, a broad low is expected to start to form over the Bay of Campeche and the two will merge.
The disturbance is then expected to move very slowly east-nor’east through the Bay of Campeche, reaching the northern Yucatan peninsula late in the week. From there, it may move in the direction of south Florida, but it is also possible that it could move into the north eastern Gulf of Mexico in about a week, before eventually moving into Florida.
The disturbance does have a chance of developing into a tropical or subtropical cyclone this week. Regardless of development, widespread heavy squalls with some wind gusts in excess of 50 knots are expected to increase over the Bay of Campeche on Monday and Tuesday.
In addition, a significant easterly swell will build over the central Gulf under easterly winds up to 40 knots, causing tides along the Texas coast to pile up a couple of feet above tidal prediction. The squally weather should remain south of the deep water lease areas, but the northern edge of the activity could potentially spread some squalls as far north as the southernmost lease areas.