The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that nearly 6.3 million people live in the areas along the Florida coast where Hurricane Frances might make landfall. According to the National Hurricane Center’s latest advisory (2 p.m. EDT), the highest probabilities of landfall stretches from Cocoa Beach (just south of Cape Canaveral) to Miami.

The projected landfall of Hurricane Frances currently spans seven counties, including Brevard (505,711 population), Broward (1,731,347), Indian River (120,463), Martin (135,122), Miami-Dade (2,341,167), Palm Beach (1,216,282) and St. Lucie (213,447). (see Population Estimates)

A hurricane warning is still in effect from Flagler Beach (south of St. Augustine) to Florida City (south of Miami). A hurricane watch and tropical storm warning remain for the middle and upper Florida Keys from south of Florida City to the Seven Mile Bridge, including Florida Bay. Overall, an estimated 14.6 million Florida residents could be affected by the storm.

Hurricane Frances, the second hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic season to draw a bead on Florida this month, was projected to hit the state within the next 24-36 hours. According to the National Hurricane Center at 2:00 p.m. EDT, Frances packed maximum sustained winds of about 115 MPH, making it a strong Category 3 hurricane. Hurricane-force winds extend 85 miles from the center of the storm, with tropical storm force winds extending outward 185 miles.

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Note: The above calculations are based on projections of the storm’s path from the National Hurricane Center, a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service, Census 2000 counts contained in LandView 6, a mapping software program, and Census Bureau population estimates as of July 1, 2003. These data do not present a full picture of the seasonal population increases of coastal or other tourist areas.