Charley Leaving 'Number of Fatalities'

FOX ^ | August 14, 2004

[Former Military Chick]

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — Hurricane Charley (search) killed at least 15 people in Florida and flattened oceanfront homes, making thousands homeless before it roared north and struck the coast of South Carolina on Saturday.

Wayne Sallade, Charlotte County's director of emergency management, said there were 10 confirmed deaths in the county, but an exact total was not available.

"Not hundreds. I would hope that it would be limited to dozens, if that," Sallade said. Five people were killed elsewhere in the state.

Charlotte County (search) deputies were standing guard over bodies because the area was inaccessible to ambulances.

The strongest storm to strike Florida in a dozen years knocked out electrical service to an estimated 1.3 million homes and businesses as it crossed Florida from the southwest coast to the Atlantic at Daytona Beach, causing widespread damage to coastal areas and mobile home parks.

[Miss Marple]

The President will be in Florida tomorrow morning. The White House announced this at least an hour ago, maybe earlier. He is currently in Seattle and is flying to Oklahoma tonight. He will be in Florida as quickly as possible tomorrow, in order to view the hard-hit areas and make sure everything the feds can do is being done, according to Scott McLellan.

[Former Military Chick]

I have gathered a few more photo's. If you click the link below you can see more photos that I did not paste here. PHOTOS: Hurricane Charley's aftermath

A man surveys damage to Punta Gorda, Florida, after the eye of Hurricane Charley made landfall here Saturday, Aug. 14, 2004.(AP PHOTO/GREGORY BULL)
Richard Gazda emerges from flood water after trying to clean out the drains near his home in Naples Fla. after Hurricane Charley moved through the area, Friday, Aug. 13, 2004.(AP PHOTO/NAPLES DAILY NEWS, JUSTIN L. FOWLER)

Randy Riker (left) and Stu Middleton survey damage from Hurricane Charley at Whidden's Marina on the southern tip of Boca Grande on Friday. Parts of Southwest Florida were devastated.(GARY W. GREEN/ORLANDO SENTINEL)
Damage is seen to Punta Gorda, Florida, after the eye of Hurricane Charley made landfall here Saturday, Aug. 14, 2004.(AP /GREGORY BULL)
Gone with the wind A U-Haul truck sits in a liquor store after being blown across a parking lot by Hurricane Charley in Port Charlotte. (Sun-Sentinel/Joe Amon)
In Port Charlotte Dale Wright and his wife, Roni, hug after surviving Hurricane Charley, in Port Charlotte, Fla., after the second floor of their townhouse blew off with them inside during the storm.(Sun-Sentinel/Mike Stocker)
Caused by the storm Aluminum roofs of Gasparilla Marina surround the boats following hurricane Charley's path over Placida, FL., Friday.(Orlando Sentinel/Gary W. Green)

A lone person, right center, checks the remains of a home north of Port Charlotte, Fla., early Saturday, Aug. 14, 2004, after Hurricane Charley moved along the west coast of Florida.(AP PHOTO/J.PAT CARTER)
Mobile homes are torn apart in a mobile home park north of Port Charlotte, Fla. Saturday, Aug. 14, 2004, after Hurricane Charley moved through the area. (AP PHOTO/J.PAT CARTER)

[CindyDawg]

I'm just saying that the one's without insurance probably own their property and either choose not to have or can't afford insurance, if even offered. Who came first? These private property owners or the "infastructure"?. It's their home and they shouldn't be pressured to leave. As I mentioned previously I have no problem with loans instead of grants but I believe in helping people up when they are down, regardless of how many times they get their feet kicked out from under them.

[tbpiper]

I think you miss point.

Is the volume on TV broken? We've actually gotten some good, useful information from from Jeb and the rest. President Bush has said and done all he needs to say and do for the moment. The idea that his election may be in danger for inaction on Charley is an idea that is way behind in info curve.

[CindyDawg]

It looks like a bomb went off.

[snooker]

Yeah I heard this early this morning on the HamNet.

It's good for W to get here before the Monday news cycle starts. By Monday night the media whine will begin. The leftist media beat up Bush 41 badly after ANDREW. Looks like W has learned.

[snooker]

It went right on by.

[I still care]

A lot of people like to talk about "trailer trash". Yes, those people are around, but living in FL where people are disabled, or on fixed income - well, a mobile is all they can afford.

I have quite a few good friends who live in fairly nice trailer parks. They would give their right arm to be able to move to a regular house, but there is no way. They do the best they can.

[CFW]

Oh my goodness. Those poor people. Thanks for the pics...even though it is heartwrenching to see what these folks are having to deal with today.

[snooker]

" Is possible to get insurance for these mobile/trailer homes in Florida?"

Not really, it's way too expensive.

One of the biggest problems with CHARLEY is that it went nearly to Orlando as a cat 3 storm. People who thought they were safe, weren't.

The storm drastically strengthened right off the coast with no warning.

The storm also came ashore way south of predictions.

All bad for the people involved.

[I still care]

We invited all our mobile home friends over our house to help them through the storm, to save them the expense of evacuation to a motel or inconvience of a shelter (shelters really are like prisons). We also went to the elderly in our neighborhood, to help them move their furniture.

Lots of people did this in FL. Fortunately it didn't really hit us in Tampa. Instead of criticizing, I hope people got out there to help.

[KC_for_Freedom]

One of the biggest problems with CHARLEY is that it went nearly to Orlando as a cat 3 storm. People who thought they were safe, weren't.

This is really the issue, too many people thought the weather service was good at forcasting the path of these storms. Opps.

Right now I am wishing to hear from the Airstream Park near Punta Gorda known as Paridise Park. It is mostly retired people lifing in their trailers. When I was there I noticeds a lot of year round residents and few tie downs. Their trailers are mobile, and hopefully a lot got out, but I suspect many stayed. These people likely thought they were safe, because (1) the storm was headed for Tampa and (2) they were inland about 20 miles. But there have been few reports from Arcadia (the nearest town and these ppl are really out in the booddocks. Anyone hear?

[snooker]

We are doing the same thing. Just got finished helping a neighbor cut up two downed trees.

Now if I can only figure out how to get half the neighbors tree off my roof I will be happy.

We really didn't get clobbered like they did 80 miles north of us.

[snooker]

Leave the creeps alone. CHARLEY is a disaster and most of the critiques are hoping for some good footage for the next Mooron fake-umentary.

W is on to them and will bring real help and they will leave with no TV footage.

You can bet the leftist media won't help W.

[lavrenti]

I have been in a horrible mood all day long because of these creeps on these threads.

People are in distress; people have died; people are scared.

And still they carp.

Considering my niece and I are trying to reach my brother in Fort Myers, I couldn't agree more.

[lavrenti]

I have been in a horrible mood all day long because of these creeps on these threads.

People are in distress; people have died; people are scared.

And still they carp.

Considering my niece and I are trying to reach my brother in Fort Myers, I couldn't agree more.

[Howlin]

Well, mine are safe now in Wilmington, so I will commiserate with you until you get them. :-)

[I still care]

Well, I can tell you here in Tampa the cell phones are not reliable.

[lavrenti]

We expected that, considering he's one of those guys who lives by them.

[MineralMan]

"A lot of people like to talk about "trailer trash". Yes, those people are around, but living in FL where people are disabled, or on fixed income - well, a mobile is all they can afford.

I have quite a few good friends who live in fairly nice trailer parks. They would give their right arm to be able to move to a regular house, but there is no way. They do the best they can.

"

Yup, and some of them have relatives who are posting on Free Republic. I still haven't been able to contact my Sister-in-Law in Cape Coral. I'm certain she and her husband are OK, but there's no way to get through right now. I'm sure she'll call in when she can.

I say Phooey! on all the doomsayers and hard-nosed people who don't seem to care at all about the disaster these folks are facing. Everything has to be political with them, and they're even wrong about the politics.

This happens every time there is a disaster. Some Freepers just can't help but make jokes or denigrate the people who have gone through it. I do hope those people are on the other end of the stick one day.