northwest and was expected to gradually turn to the northwest in the next day. It was expected to carry 3 to 6 inches (7.5 to 15 cm) of rain and and large waves to Jamaica and the Caymans. Hurricane and tropical storm alerts were in effect for Jamaica, parts of western Cuba, the Cayman Islands and the lower Florida Keys. Tropical Storm Bonnie was also growing stronger as it moved closer to Florida's northwest coast. It had sustained winds of 65 mph (105 kph) and could become a hurricane on Wednesday night or Thursday morning. Energy companies evacuated workers from 108 production platforms and 37 rigs in the Gulf of Mexico as Bonnie chugged through the oil fields. The storm curtailed 25 percent of Gulf oil production and 17 percent of natural gas production, the U.S. Minerals Management Service said. Florida Gov. Jeb Bush declared a state of emergency because both Charley and Bonnie posed threats to the state, setting the wheels in motion for emergency shelters to open. Bonnie's center at 2 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT) on Wednesday was about 205 miles (330 km) south of the mouth of the Mississippi River at latitude 26.2 north and longitude 89.5 west. It was moving to the northeast at about 12 mph (19 kph). A tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch covered the northwest Florida coast from the Alabama border to the mouth of the Suwanee River. Bonnie was on a track expected to take it ashore between Pensacola and Panama City about midday on Thursday.
