MIAMI, Sept. 4 (UPI) -- Hurricane Frances lumbered slowly ashore with 105 mph winds Saturday, pounding Palm Beach and Martin counties in Florida with its fury.
Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, said once the eyewall comes ashore, the 50-mile wide eye wall will take 10-12 hours, "and then we have the backside. We've got a long way to go to get this thing across the state."
The inner bands were beginning to come ashore and the area was already getting hammered by hurricane-force winds. Roofs were damaged, and signs, trees and powerlines were knocked down.
A hurricane warning remained in effect Saturday afternoon from Florida City north to Flagler Beach, Fla.
At 8 p.m. EDT Saturday, the center of the sprawling hurricane was located at latitude 27.0 north, longitude 79.4 west, 50 miles east-northeast of Palm Beach, Fla.
Hurricane force winds extend 75 miles from the center. A storm surge of 3 to 5 feet above tide levels was expected and rainfall could reach 20 inches.
