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Hurricane Wilma menacing Florida

The latest hurricane to pose a threat to the south Atlantic and the U.S. state of Florida reached Category 5 status on early Wednesday as U.S. Air Force reconnaissance planes measured Hurricane Wilma`s top sustained winds at 175 miles per hour. At the time of the update, Wilma was dumping rain on Central America and Mexico, and forecasters at the National Hurricane Center warned of a "significant threat" to Florida by this coming weekend.

Wilma`s jump to Category 5 came two hours after the storm had been declared a Catergory 4 hurricane with sustained winds at 150 miles per hour. Meanwhile, in Florida residents were not taking any chances and were preparing for the worst. "People have learned their lesson and know better how to prepare. We`re not waiting until the last minute anymore," said Andrea Yerger of Port Charlotte, Florida.

Florida has seen seven hurricanes hit or pass close by since August 2004, causing more than $20 billion in estimated damage and killing nearly 150 people. Hurricane Wilma is expected to avoid the hard-hit U.S. Gulf Coast states of Louisiana and Mississippi, still reeling from the effects of back-to-back hurricanes Katrina and Rita. "There`s no scenario now that takes it toward Louisiana or Mississippi, but that could change," said Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center.