All of Tampa Bay breathed a sigh of relief when Hurricane Charley changed track before making landfall in Florida on August 13, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, and other towns, however, suddenly found themselves facing the full brunt of Charley's devastating power.
The Times dispatched a small army of photographers and reporters to the area. Here is what they found. The mobile home was located along a rural stretch of US Highway 17, approximately six miles north of Punta Gorda. A family Bible rests in a tree after it was thrown from a mobile home that was destroyed by Hurricane Charley. This story appeared in the pages of the St. Petersburg Times on Aug. What follows is the text of the original story, interspersed with photos taken by Times staff photographers.
DEATH: "Significant loss of life' feared as rescuers and cadaver dogs prepare to comb through debris. At least 13 dead. Hundreds unaccounted for. Thousands homeless and millions without power or water. Property damage in the billions and spiraling upward. Hurricane Charley's stunning swath of destruction through Florida's midsection became clearer Saturday as federal and state officials began a widespread relief effort.
Jeb Bush said after touring the hardest-hit areas. He called Punta Gorda "ground zero. Petersburg Times for August 13, Cars pack the northbound lane of the Howard Frankland Bridge evacuating the area in response to Hurricane Charley. As search and rescue efforts escalated, Charlotte County emergency management director Wayne Sallade ordered dozens of body bags and summoned a federal disaster mortuary team to help with the dead.
Predicting the number of deaths was going to be difficult until cadaver dogs and search and rescue teams could get to the areas hardest hit, he said. The Chalifouxs plan on using the gun if needed to protect their Port Charlotte home from looters. He said Citizens Property Insurance, the state fund, has enough cash on hand to pay the losses. He said he does not believe Charley will have the same effect on the insurance industry that Andrew had because of changes in insurance law.
