Again? Worried Floridians watched as Hurricane Wilma, the 12th Atlantic hurricane this year, whipped into the Gulf of Mexico. The deadly storm had swept across the Caribbean, killing at least 13 people. Wilma soaked Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula and was on track to hit southern Florida early this week.
The 2005 hurricane season has been the busiest since 1969, and Hurricane Katrina made it one of the deadliest. Floridians hoped for the best but prepared for the worst. "People have learned their lesson," said Andrea Yerger, 48, of Port Charlotte, Florida. "We're not waiting until the last minute anymore."