Oct. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Hurricane Wilma will probably weaken as it accelerates away from the U.S. East Coast over cooler waters of the Atlantic Ocean, after causing insurers as much as $10 billion in damage in Florida.

Wilma was moving northeast at 47 mph (76 kph) last night, up from 23 mph during the day, while winds were almost 125 mph last night, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center. The storm is traveling parallel to the U.S. coast.

``We're forecasting weakening over the next 12 to 24 hours as it becomes less tropical and more resembles a winter storm,'' said James Franklin, a hurricane specialist at the center.

The U.S. Northeast may receive as much as 3 inches of rain and winds as strong as 65 mph today, as moisture from Wilma combines with low pressure moving through the Ohio Valley, forecasters said.

The storm knocked down trees and power lines and flooded low-lying areas in south Florida. In Chokoloskee, about 90 miles west of Miami, storm waters broke off chunks of highway and threatened the local stone-crab industry.

``I guess I should say, I used to be a stone crabber,'' said Richard Collins, 56, in an interview. Stone-crab traps ``are going to be scattered all over the place from this.''

Insured Damages

Insured damages from the storm, which strengthened to a Category 3 yesterday with winds about 120 mph, may be as much as $10 billion, more than any of the four hurricanes to hit the state last year. One death was attributed to the storm, which cut power to more than 3 million people.

Wilma, the eighth hurricane to reach Florida since August 2004, was about 260 miles (418 kilometers) south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, at 11 p.m. last night, according to the hurricane center. Hurricane-force winds of at least 74 mph extended 105 miles from Wilma's eye and tropical-storm-force winds, a minimum of 39 mph, extended 260 miles, the center said.

Wilma will cost a fraction of the estimated $40 billion to $60 billion in insured damages caused by Katrina, probably the industry's most expensive U.S. disaster, which devastated the Gulf Coast in August.

This is the third hurricane to make landfall in Florida this year, after Hurricanes Dennis and Katrina passed over the state. Rita reached the Keys without officially making landfall, said Chris Landsea, a Hurricane Center meteorologist.

Disaster Aid

U.S. President George W. Bush declared a major disaster in Florida in response to Wilma, freeing up federal aid for the state. Collier, Lee and Monroe counties are eligible for aid under the declaration, according to a statement from the Homeland Security Department.

Federal assistance will be available for as much as 75 percent of the costs to restore damaged facilities in 20 other Florida counties, according to the department.

Wilma closed 19 airports in the state, Paulison said. Flights in and out of Miami, Palm Beach, Key West and Boca Raton were halted, while airports in Tampa and Orlando had 15-minute delays.

Orange-juice prices rose 3.8 percent, the biggest fluctuation of any commodity yesterday, as Wilma threatened some fruit-growing areas in Florida, the world's second-biggest orange producer after Brazil. Prices have climbed 48 percent in the past year after three hurricanes in 2004 reduced Florida's output by 38 percent.

Frozen concentrated orange-juice futures for January delivery rose 4.15 cents yesterday to $1.144 a pound on the New York Board of Trade, the highest closing price for a most active contract since December 1998. The November contract rose 3.75 cents to $1.1185. A futures contract is an obligation to buy or sell a commodity at a set price for delivery by a specific date.

Alpha Weakens

Tropical Depression Alpha has weakened and is expected to dissipate as Wilma approaches the storm, which was about 385 miles southwest of Bermuda as of about 5 p.m. yesterday, the hurricane center said. Alpha had sustained winds of 35 mph.

Alpha was named when it attained tropical-storm strength three days ago, becoming the 22nd named storm of the June 1 to Nov. 30 Atlantic hurricane season and breaking a record set in 1933. Wilma is the 12th hurricane of the season, matching a record from 1969.

Wilma was the last of the hurricane names in alphabetical order on this year's list; forecasters use the Greek alphabet when the list is exhausted.

In Mexico, Wilma battered the state of Quintana Roo for about 48 hours. The tempest tore down electricity lines, toppled telecommunications towers, damaged roads and ripped roofs off houses and hotels in the resorts of Cancun, Playa del Carmen and the island of Cozumel, said Juan Granados, an official with the state's civil protection agency, in a phone interview yesterday.

About 16 deaths were reported in Mexico, Jamaica and Haiti, CNN said.

To contact the reporters on this story: Heather Burke in New York at hburke2@bloomberg.net; Victor Epstein in Naples at vepstein@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: October 25, 2005 00:33 EDT