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Collier county emergency managers issued a mandatory evacuation order for coastal residents and visitors west and south of US 41. About 60 thousand people are affected. People should be out by 8:00 Sunday morning, at which time public shelters will open in Collier. WGCU’s Amy Tardif spent the morning on Marco Island, as people prepare to leave.

People in southwest Florida are preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Wilma. The powerful storm is expected to enter the Gulf of Mexico Friday and then turn towards Florida with landfall on Sunday. Residents of the Sunshine State have dealt with five major storms since last year. One of the hurricanes, Charley, decimated the small town of Punta Gorda. Many spent months repairing damage...others were left homeless. Now they’re facing it all over again. From member station W-G-C-U in Fort Myers, Valerie Alker reports.

As Hurricane moves closer to the state’s coast, Florida Republican Governor Jeb Bush testified before a Homeland Security Committee on Capitol Hill Wednesday. He responded to questions about how the military should work with state and local governments in responding to disasters. From ouR Capitol Hill Bureau, Terry Gildea reports.

The head of a Fort Myers-area organization representing the needs of senior citizens traveled to Washington
to offer her expertise on the needs of seniors in times of crisis. Our congressional correspondent Max Cacas has more:

Pets rescued from Hurricane Katrina will be among those at an adopt-a-thon this weekend in Fort Myers. Pam Geiser reports.

Democratic Florida Congressman Alcee Hastings is challenging the Republican majority in the US House. He filed a discharge petition that would force the House to consider an independent commission to investigate Hurricane Katrina response. Jill Morrison reports from Capitol Hill.

Manor Court was scheduled for demolition by the City of Cape Coral. The evacuees will be allowed to stay there rent free for about seven months.
Mike Kiniry reports.

Charlotte County has no official hurricane shelters. Much of the county is just slightly above sea level… and the Red Cross hasn’t found a safe enough spot. Evacuees flee North to Sarasota County, south to Lee, or east to Glades. But that could change… if an abandoned mental hospital can become a shelter—specifically for those with special needs. Valerie Alker reports.

Governor Jeb Bush and leading state officials continued to “meet the press” Tuesday leading hurricane briefing sessions broadcast state wide. The Governor also came to the defense of the Federal Emergency Management Agency—which has been widely criticized in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Valerie Alker reports. (AUDIO)