CHARLEY BECOMES A (CATEGORY 4 Now!!) HURRICANE (18 ft. storm surge)

NHC ^ | 08-13-2004 | Forecaster Lawrence

[ovrtaxt]

You're gonna blame all this destruction on God? Don't make me come over there...

[Dog]

Can you clean up 126...

[Dog Gone]

I have seen palm fronds impaled thru palm trees

I hope Dan Rather is planning to cover the storm in person.

[Fury]

http://www.sunstream.com/beachcam.htm

The camera is jumping all over the place. They're having an earthquake!!!

[mhking]

Category FOUR????

Yep. With landfall at around 3 or so.

[Revelation 911]

were supposed to be headed there 8/23

do me a favor and let me know if you think its still worthwhile or will we be taking up rooms that could better be used by residents

[R. Scott]

This does not bode well for the East Coast. With Charley increasing in intensity and turning more eastward it could well move up over the ocean rather than inland. The Gulf Stream sometimes keeps hurricanes close to the coast, not allowing them to go out to sea. This could cause it to stregthen even more.
Some here in the Hampton Roads area are still cleaning up from a brush with a much weakened Hurricane Isabel last year.

[JennysCool]

bookmark.

[Pyro7480]

When I was taking the Metro home yesterday, I went over the Potomac rail bridge, and there was only about a half-mile visibility, and the rain was REALLY coming down. The Potomac look already pretty swollen. The retaining wall on the DC side had water nearly up to the top.

[ChuxsterS]

Heads up ping

[mhking]

The forecasters in Ft. Myers are comparing this to Andrew now.

[Mo1]

Those folks who did leave are in big trouble .. this thing is HUGE

[hchutch]

If, that is, Charley doesn't pick up any more wind strength....

[nwctwx]

[Jeff400000]

A category 5 has sustained winds of 155 mph or greater. The US has only been hit by 3 cat 5's in the past: Labor Day of 1935, Camille in 1969, and Andrew in 1992. The storm is obviously intensifying rapidly now and if it continues, could strengthen by 10 more mph. Can't really put a number on it, though.

[MineralMan]

"I have family in Ft. Myers...getting nervous...

"

I have in-laws in Cape Coral. I talked to them earlier and they're really nervous.

[Howlin]

I love that place. Amelia was just there last week!

[nwctwx]

145 mph windspeed equals what Andrew was at landfall. Andrew was a good deal deeper (lower pressure though). Andrew had a 922mb low at landfall.

[Right_in_Virginia]

His brother Jeb will, in a timely manner, request help, unlike the governor of Fla at the time of Andrew.

And, I saw an interview this morning---the President already has FEMA there ready and rolling.

[boxerblues]

I just got off the phone with my brother who is in Mulberry/Lakeland area, little bits of rain and nothing else.