Florida declares 'state of emergency', Hurricane Dennis category 4 storm
{{date|July 8, 2005}}<br>
{{Hurricane 2005 Infobox}}<br>

[[Florida]] braces for the arrival of {{w|Hurricane Dennis}} as governor {{w|Jeb Bush}} announced a {{w|state of emergency}} on a televised press conference Friday afternoon at 2:00 {{w|EST}}.  Dennis weakened slightly after making landfall in [[Cuba]] and now packs sustained winds of 145 {{w|miles per hour}}. Thousands have fled the {{w|Florida Keys}} under a mandatory evacuation order where the storm is expected to strike sometime this evening.

The storm wobbled slightly after arriving in Cuba where it claimed up to three lives. {{w|Amateur radio|Ham radio}} operators reported that most power lines are down in the province of {{w|Cienfuegos Province|Cienfuegos}}, where a major seaport is located on Cuba's southern coast. 

According to ''{{w|Reuters}}'', 18 lives were claimed by the storm in [[Haiti]] yesterday when it passed over that island nation.

[[Image:Hurricane Dennis projected track.gif|thumb|right|220px|Storm track<br>Source:National Hurricane Center]]

The storm is expected to continue on a north-westerly path that will brush the southern tip of Florida and head up the state's [[Gulf of Mexico]] coastline, where warm gulf waters could fuel the storm and raise it to a Category 5 storm.

Speculation has begun on the possibility of higher gas prices as gulf oil refineries are threatened.

Hurricane Dennis comes quickly on the heels of 3-day ago {{w|Tropical Storm Cindy}}, in what is noted as record storm activity for this early in the hurricane season. 

== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
|title=Hurricane DENNIS Public Advisory
|author=
|pub=National Hurricane Center
|date=July 8 2pm EST, 2005}}
*''{{w|MSNBC}}'' televised reports July 8, 2005
*{{source|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8487520/
|title=Dennis muscles up, now ‘extremely dangerous’
|author=
|pub=MSNBC
|date=July 8, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2005-07-08T204408Z_01_N08396076_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-WEATHER-DENNIS-DC.XML
|title=Hurricane Dennis hits Cuba, 18 Dead in Haiti
|author=Anthony Boadle
|pub=Reuters
|date=July 8, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://www.newsradar.it/hurricane-dennis/
|title=Real-Time Newsradar on Hurricane Dennis
|author=Newsradar.it
|pub=Newsradar.it
|date= July 11, 2005 }}

==Related news==
*{{Wikinews|title=Tropical Storm Cindy threatens U.S. Gulf Coast
|date=July 5, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://www.newsradar.it/hurricane-dennis/
|title=Real-Time Newsradar on Hurricane Dennis
|author=
|pub=Newsradar.it
|date= July 11, 2005 }}

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{{archive}}
[[Category:Hurricane season, 2005]]
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:Florida]]
[[Category:Weather]]
[[Category:Disasters and accidents]]
[[Category:North America]]
[[Category:Haiti]]
[[Category:Gulf of Mexico]]
[[Category:Caribbean]]
[[Category:Cuba]]
[[Category:Jeb Bush]]
Florida braces for the arrival of Jeb Bush announced a EST.  Dennis weakened slightly after making landfall in Cuba and now packs sustained winds of 145 Florida Keys under a mandatory evacuation order where the storm is expected to strike sometime this evening.

The storm wobbled slightly after arriving in Cuba where it claimed up to three lives. Ham radio operators reported that most power lines are down in the province of Cienfuegos, where a major seaport is located on Cuba's southern coast. 

According to , 18 lives were claimed by the storm in Haiti yesterday when it passed over that island nation.

Storm trackSource:National Hurricane Center

The storm is expected to continue on a north-westerly path that will brush the southern tip of Florida and head up the state's Gulf of Mexico coastline, where warm gulf waters could fuel the storm and raise it to a Category 5 storm.

Speculation has begun on the possibility of higher gas prices as gulf oil refineries are threatened.

Hurricane Dennis comes quickly on the heels of 3-day ago , in what is noted as record storm activity for this early in the hurricane season. 

*
Hurricane season, 2005 United States Florida Weather Disasters and accidents North America Haiti Gulf of Mexico Caribbean Cuba Jeb Bush