[summer]

Thanks for your posts. I am OK.

I did not get a direct hit by this storm, but, many others I know did. And, their damages were very severe.

I still do not have power and am not at home right now.

FL Gov Jeb Bush is somewhere in the area and I believe there will be National Guard here soon, and a curfew, from 7PM - 7AM. Most street lights are out, and many stores remain closed.

They are saying on the news that North Captiva Island was sliced into two by this storm, and there is a new waterway now between the two NEW islands, that did not exist before.

Our neighbors have been great and everyone is helping each other. The biggest problem remains the loss of electricity.

It's impossible to get through to Florida Power & Light (only a recording), but, you can speak to a live person at the national FEMA hotline -- for anyone who needs that number, it's: 1-800-621-FEMA.

Thanks again for thinking of me; everything will be OK, eventually.

[Dog Gone]

It's great to hear from you! What a mess!

[Dog Gone]

Sat Aug 14, 2:18 PM ET
Upper Captiva Island is seen after Hurricane Charley cut a new channel through it, as the storm came ashore west of Fort Myers, in Florida, August 14, 2004. Across storm-struck southwest Florida, dazed residents emerged Saturday morning from damaged homes or returned from public shelters to find their lives turned inside out by Hurricane Charley, which struck Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda and Fort Myers with ferocious 145 mph (233 kph) winds and a flooding 15-foot (4.5-meter) storm surge. Hurricane Charley battered multimillion-dollar houses on exclusive islands off southwest Florida, prompting an initial damage estimate of $3 billion in one county alone, an official said Saturday.

[JulieRNR21]

Thanks for your posts. I am OK.

I did not get a direct hit by this storm, but, many others I know did. And, their damages were very severe.

I still do not have power and am not at home right now.

FL Gov Jeb Bush is somewhere in the area and I believe there will be National Guard here soon, and a curfew, from 7PM - 7AM. Most street lights are out, and many stores remain closed.

They are saying on the news that North Captiva Island was sliced into two by this storm, and there is a new waterway now between the two NEW islands, that did not exist before.

---

Good to hear that you are fine, summer.

WOW now two Captiva Islands. The loss of human life is tragic.

I've also been thinking of all the gorgeous birds at the Ding Darling Bird Scanctuary.....flamingos, spoonbills, storks, cranes.......wonder how that survived those 145 mph winds?