Workers salvage items from a demolished hardware store in Port Charlotte, Fla., Saturday afternoon Aug. 14, 2004. Hurricane Charley ripped through the area on Friday leaving a path of destruction. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Posted on 08/13/2004 10:08:09 AM PDT by Jeff400000
000 WTNT33 KNHC 131655 TCPAT3 BULLETIN HURRICANE CHARLEY INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 17A NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 1 PM EDT FRI AUG 13 2004
...CHARLEY STRENGTHENS AS IT HEADS TOWARD FLORIDA WEST COAST...
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS FROM THE DRY TORTUGAS TO THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE...AND FOR THE FLORIDA WEST COAST FROM EAST CAPE SABLE NORTHWARD TO THE STEINHATCHEE RIVER. A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. PREPARATIONS SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION.
THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR THE FLORIDA AND GEORGIA COASTS WERE RECENTLY EXTENDED SOUTHWARD TO JUPITER INLET FLORIDA AND ARE NOW IN EFFECT FROM THE SOUTH SANTEE RIVER SOUTH CAROLINA TO JUPITER INLET. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS FROM THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE TO OCEAN REEF...AND ALONG THE SOUTH FLORIDA MAINLAND FROM OCEAN REEF TO EAST CAPE SABLE...INCLUDING FLORIDA BAY AND LAKE OKEECHOBEE.
A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM FLAGLER BEACH FLORIDA NORTHWARD TO THE SAVANNAH RIVER NEAR THE GEORGIA/SOUTH CAROLINA BORDER.
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. COAST FROM OCEAN REEF NORTHWARD TO SOUTH OF COCOA BEACH AND FROM THE SOUTH SANTEE RIVER NORTHWARD TO OREGON INLET NORTH CAROLINA INCLUDING PAMLICO SOUND.
AT 1 PM EDT...1700Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE CHARLEY WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 25.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 82.5 WEST OR ABOUT 70 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF FORT MYERS FLORIDA.
CHARLEY IS NOW MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST NEAR 20 MPH AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED. ON THIS TRACK...THE CENTER OF THE HURRICANE SHOULD REACH THE COAST IN THE VICINITY OF CHARLOTTE HARBOR LATER THIS AFTERNOON.
RECENT REPORTS FROM A RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT THE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 125 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS...CATEGORY THREE ON THE SAFFIR/SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. THESE STRONGEST WINDS ARE CONFINED TO A SMALL AREA WITHIN A FEW MILES FROM CHARLEYS CENTER.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 30 MILES... 45 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 105 MILES...165 KM.
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 964 MB...28.46 INCHES.
STORM SURGE FLOODING IN THE FLORIDA KEYS WILL BE SUBSIDING LATER TODAY. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 10 TO 13 FEET IS EXPECTED NEAR AND SOUTH OF THE WHERE THE CENTER CROSSES THE FLORIDA WEST COAST. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 4 TO 7 FEET ALONG AND NEAR THE GEORGIA COAST IN THE NEXT 24 HOURS WITH LESSER FLOODING TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH.
RAINFALL TOTALS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES ARE LIKELY ALONG CHARLEYS PATH ACROSS THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. THESE RAINS COULD CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS.
ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS PARTS OF SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL FLORIDA INCLUDING THE FLORIDA KEYS TODAY.
REPEATING THE 1 PM EDT POSITION...25.7 N... 82.5 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTH-NORTHEAST NEAR 20 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...125 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 964 MB.
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.
AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 3 PM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 5 PM EDT.
FORECASTER LAWRENCE
Bryan Hamrick, Winter Haven
8/14/04 12:50:17 PM
On the north side of Winter Haven we have seen a lot of minor to medium size damage. Roofs blown off of boathouses, a gas station with the canopy blown off the fuel island, ALOT of trees down causing blockage of some of the heavier travelled roads, ems and fire units everwhere(thank god for them)alot of cleanup work to be done over the next several days.
Workers salvage items from a demolished hardware store in Port Charlotte, Fla., Saturday afternoon Aug. 14, 2004. Hurricane Charley ripped through the area on Friday leaving a path of destruction. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
My brother finally called. A tornado *just* missed his house but was eaten up by ants while he cleared trees from his garage.
Mike
Hi All, I last posted Friday night about 910pm as the eye of Charley was approaching Seminole County,FL (just north of Orlando). Power went out as the winds were going about 50.
Some neighborhoods have power (mine does not. I'm mooching off a friend's wireless) but they say around a half million people in the Orlando area are still without power. If the lack of utility trucks in my neighborhood are any indication it could be quite awhile before some of us see electricity.
The winds gusted up to 92 at the local airport (Sanford) that night as the power went out. Currently some stores are open, many are not. Gas shortages and lack of power to stations are resulting in long gas lines (deja vu 1979). I'm lucky as I have natural gas and water, meaning hot showers. Others, such as my dad, have no water, power or electricity. Others, such as my friend, have had power since Sat.
Fortunately, we weren't as hard hit as the poor folks down near Punta Gorda, but it's worse than I thought it would be. Trees still lay over power lines. Many old oaks were uprooted. Yard trash will be picked up for weeks.
Should be an interesting next few weeks!
It is Sunday at 819pm. My cable and Internet just came back on. I lost electic power and the cable (cable modem) about the same time, about 900 pm Friday.
My house did not get structual damage--debris pretty heavy. Neighbor to the left lost a tree that fell down on top her car. She just moved in recently and had a bunch of moving boxes in her two-car garage but unfortunately her car got smashed since she was forced to keep it outside. Trees down all over the place but I don't see houses with missing roof tiles/shingles. The wind was strong enough to take trees down but not strong enough to take the roof or roof shingles off.
My cousin lives 14 miles east of me near Altamonte Mall and is up in Washington DC for the weekend. Went over to look at their place and it is worse over there. They had three trees down on immediate neigbors' property--two trees blocking the road. One tree smashed through the roof structure. They are east of I-4 and I am west of I-4 and just like they said, the damage to the east was heavier.
The damage on Captiva Island is horrible. The island has literally been cut in two as part of it has washed away. The nation has lost a good part of one of its most beautiful and popular destinations.
I saw that on the news...just horrible.
I have been to Sanibel twice.
It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen...if not the most beautiful.
Man I hope the island is at least intact and the beaches are okay (at least on Captiva, they say the beaches are virtually gone in many places due to the storm, so it will take time for them to come back to their former glory).
One thing is for sure, it will take a long time to get all the trees back, fix the buildings, and get the sand off the roads, grass, everything.
They said the last time a hurricane really hit the Sanibel area with almost total devastation (in the 1800's....) they could not grow crops there for a very long time due to the salt (not sure what crops they would grow on that small island, but oh well).
I did not see Captiva when we visited Sanibel....but saw the pictures on the tv. Just awful.
I'm still praying for her and your family. Have you heard anything? I see you haven't posted since Friday, and, well, as fellow freepers, I'm just checkin', you know?
Thanks for your reply. My aunt was on the west coast during the hurricane,although she has a brother and sister who live somewhere in the area. No word yet. My aunt and her late husband were very active in the Lions Club in Punta Gorda. Would anyone on this thread know the status of that building?
http://www.news-press.net/myStory/getcomments.php?sTORY_ID=387
Try this link, people are posting request for info. It will be hard to get as there is no power, phones, puters etc. I have already received one response.
My late Uncle was in the Punta Gorda Lions also. Smal world. My aunt still lives in Punta Gorda. That is who I am concerned for her safety. Good luck.
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