By drifting further west than originally predicted, Hurricane Ivan is on a course that could hit Panama City, Pensacola, or Mobile at the Cat-2 to Cat-5 level, with the potential to be one of the most expensive, damaging hurricanes ever to hit the US mainland. Cuba will only be clipped, and the eye will stay over the warm waters between Cuba and the Yucatan peninsula.
** Update - Ivan has regained strength after dropping to 150 mph earlier. It is now a 160 mph Cat-5 hurricane again. It is continuing to track somewhat west of projections, which could mean the difference between a hit on Panama City and a hit on Mobile. **
The track and scale of the storm is starting to look alarmingly like that of 1979's Hurricane Frederic.
