NEWS: Category 4 Storm Hurricane Charley Makes Landfall, Massive Damage and Casualty Reports

I am getting better news here than enywhere else as it heads my way. The good news is, the winds are diminishing now as it crosses land. We are expecting to be back down to a category 1 or 2 by the time it hits Daytona.

Still not feeling good about this but the outer bands are still 2 - 3 hours out, and as you can see, anything could happen still.

I will try to report as it picks up as long as the power stays on and I don't need to unplug and head into the closet w/ the laptop.

Funny thing is outside of ATS it is strangely silent from the rest of the world. Everyone I know is in the NE and I just made the rounds w/ them so they don't freak when they see the news in the AM, but none of them had a clue.

P.S. I have Earthlink as my homepage and "Around Central Florida" which is the built in news feature the top story (with all this going on is still about McGeevey resigning. Geez!



[edit on 13-8-2004 by Relentless]

Thanks Relentless. I'm updating the image and text on page 1 everytime i hear something new but as it comes in i'll have it posted.

Nobody really knows where its going, we can only guess right now

Stay tuned.

MSNBC reporter just said there was panic at the Desoto shelter, but no fatalities, but some minor injuries. (No link as it was a live report).

In case someone in Florida may read this and your power goes out for a few days, just wanted to let you know there is another tropical depression in the south atlantic heading towards the Caribbean. It's at least a few days out though. Not many are watching it yet and no one is forecasting any path yet.

Hurricane Charley got stronger and faster than the forecasters predicted. I only heard a possible cat 3 storm before coming ashore yesterday. Hurricanes are still a bit unpredictable it appears.

FYI I heard the eye is supposed to hit Orlando around 9:30 P (EST) and Daytona around 11PM.

Yup Orion, theres another 2 in fact. I'll post satellite images when i have them.

I've got a prelimary damage list in front of me, updates will be on page 1.

Wind predictions around here decreased to around 60mph power went off twice we had 2 swells come by with gust maybe 20-30 mph at the most in titusville i'll keep you all updated thanks for sticking with us guys it makes us all feel better

A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN
WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA:

CHARLOTTE
DE SOTO
HERNANDO
HILLSBOROUGH
LEE
MANATEE
PASCO
PINELLAS
SARASOTA


NOAA

Weather in Flagler (north of Daytona) has suddenly turned nasty (8:10 PM) but this is just another tornado/severe weather system, not the hurricane yet I think.

Though they did report earlier that the winds would start whipping to 60 mph after sunset (as the storm approached) and that is about now.

This is Danger Zone.

For the next 12 hours its going to be moving through highly populated area's which will probably include Orlando.

I'm watching streaming NBC2 coverage.

The damage is awful... It ripped out this huge oak tree and threw it across a yard... roots and all. Wow.

I lived through Donna back home, one of Daytona's worst, all my famliy is there...we are 4th generation Floridians....I'm really concerned and can't get in touch

Orlando is about to be hit. Probably within the next 15 minutes.

Its heading right for it. At this rate its going to hit Orlando then hit Daytona.

LadyV - hasn't hit Daytona yet, we are just having severe weather. They may have lost power.

I was on the phone w/ my mom as someone had posted the prediction for the time it will hit here. She told me she had the news on and it was not getting here till 1 or 2AM. I bet here my sources (ATS) were better than the news she was watching.

With the last post if it's hitting Orlando at the speed it's moving the predictions here are right.

Oh well, like I shoud be thinking about other things right now, but I kinda need this distraction at the moment, while I still have it.

2 explosions were just shown on the news on I-4 in Orlando. They think transformers blew. Here we go.

Originally posted by Relentless
LadyV - hasn't hit Daytona yet, we are just having severe weather. They may have lost power.

Are there a lot of areas w/out power? I can't get thoguth to anyone "Tracy Dr, N. Penninsuala Dr, Tomoka State Park area, Halifax..? Thye may all be together somewhere too...It's worrisome!

I've got damage reports but theres nothing massive apart from the shelter collapse.

Not too sure if its going to hit Daytona, Its veering east as it heads for Orlando.

Could be one million without power, hundreds of homes destroyed but no real deaths yet.

Here in Cocoa Beach it looks like we're jsut going to get brushed, some wind and rain now with a few squalls expected to be here shortly. Port Charlotte got slammed and from the local news reports the damage is extensive. 1 reported fatality when someone was in their car and got blown off the road. Its not over yet and the local news channels are showing extremly bad winds on the live road watch cams. I am doing the natural thing, gettin' wasted and going to a hurricane party. Reports of power outages are all over Central Florida, and I am sure that tommorow's damage images are going to be breathtaking.

A little girl died as well when a semi lost control and landed on another vehicle.



www.orlandosentinel.com...

[edit on 13-8-2004 by perseus]

Looking at the data I believe Charley was a bit overrated. First off this hurricane is very small in comparison to other systems. At the time of landfall the hurricane force winds extended no more than 20 miles in any direction from the eye. The big winds of 115mph+ couldn't have been more than a couple miles from the eye. With an eye that small and given the worst area of the storm is to the right of the eye that tells me a very small area had the really bad weather. I have heard from a family member that follows this closely that only ONE observation from a plane reported winds of 145mph. One single reading. Is it possible that this was an error? Look at the storms pressure. It was around 950mb which is low but not impressive. For this strength of storm I would expect it to be 920 - 930mb. I'm guessing you can shave off about 20mph from that 145. Lets see what the damages look like. I think you'll find it more consistant with a weaker storm and nothing like a hurricane Hugo which this one was supposedly the same strength as.

Just my thoughts.

For those interested there is a live newsfeed on the storm online at

waterbc.wm.llnwd.net...