Ten years ago today, Hurricane Charley hit the West Coast of Florida and began one of the worst hurricane seasons Florida has ever experienced. It was one of the most destructive years for the state because almost every square inch of Florida received hurricane force winds that year. When Charley struck, it was a Friday the 13th.
This storm was memorable for many reasons but it also taught us all a valuable lessen. For the most part, most TV stations were naming Tampa as the most likely place of landfall. Because of that forecast, many folks that lived around Ft Meyers were not really heeding the potential threat as seriously as they should of been. Many folks stayed in their mobile homes and others did not evacuate. After all, it was on the way to Tampa.
The problem is that Charley had something else in mind. He decided to make a last minute right turn detour and barrel into Charlotte Harbor. Instead of staying offshore, Charley became an Inland Hurricane. Charley was a compact but vicious storm with only a 10 mile wide eye. Compare that to Andrew which had a 20 mile wide eye and Wilma which was 75 miles wide.
Charley left a trail of destruction with his 145 MPH winds. The eye was so small that in Port St Lucie, the storm moved by without hardly even being noticed. it was hard to imagine that just a short distance to the West, buildings were completely leveled.
Floridans learned a valuable lessen that day. They learned that you must respect the cone of error. They also learned that the “skinny” line that shows the storm track means nothing. If you are in the cone, you should prepare as if the storm is moving directly towards you. Hurricanes have no conscience and they do not discriminate. They can change direction with no warning and be headed right towards you. If you are not ready, your life could be in serious danger. For this reason, forecasters are trying not to use the actual track line as a reference point but rather use the cone instead.
Most folks who live in inland areas believe that they are safe from hurricanes. Charley threw that belief right out the door. Charley caused millions of dollars of inland damage and declare 25 Florida counties as disaster areas. Buildings in the storms path were either destroyed or damaged. Because of the small size, the hurricane passed each area quickly but with 145 MPH winds, the damage was extensive.
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