Hurricane Charley Updates ???

Can any CPF members post their first-hand experiences with the effects of Hurricane Charley as it moves across Florida and the Southeast?

Well, I don't live in Florida, but I heard on the news a short time ago that the winds are gusting to 150mph in Tampa Bay.

Trust me, It is calm in Tampabay right now. The calm before the storm I guess you could say.

Looks like the Tampa Bay area's going to take a pounding. 12:10 PM EDT.

i grew up in south fla. i loved huricanes istill love storms i go outside. or if i was in fla id be at beach.

I have a uncle north of Naples that is sweating it. He just re-did his million dollar condo down there and they are right in line for it. He went inland this morning.

Ft. Meyers is about to get hammered- It's going to miss Tampa for the most part.

It's now a CAT 4 storm!!! aimed at Ft Myers!
Storm surge up to 18 feet!!!

I just ordered from Thompson Cigar in Florida via the web. A warning came up telling me because of the hurrican my order might be delayed.

Hope they aren't wet when they get here.

My mother's boyfriend (sounds funny to me, he's 84) lives in Ft Meyer's Beach, they called 15mins ago to say the two of them plus 2 neigbours are buttoned up in a hotel inland somewhere (I think Tampa), said she didn't think they'd hit the eye of the storm yet. They're on the lee side of the building so sheltered but without power.

I've been talking via yahoo messenger to a friend in Tampa. It just started to rain and the wind is picking up, but the storm made landfall south and east of Tampa which will push the water out of the bay (rather than into it) and it looks like the Tampa area will not get the worst of it. As far as Ft. Myers, Port Charlotte and Sarasota, well....

My sister is in Lakeland (Polk County). I haven't talked to her yet, but around 2 or so today my dad said they were still boarding up windows and such, but mostly expecting heavy rains and some wind. I know the schools and most businesses were closed and they were under voluntary evacuation orders, which went to mandatory this afternoon for those in mobile homes. They had been told they would probably be without power anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks following the storm! I probably won't hear an update from her or my dad (who lives just north of Miami) until tomorrow sometime.

Hi FW,

I spoke to someone in the general area of Polk County also. She was house-sitting for a vacationing friend, partly because she's in a real house right now but her regular home is a mobile home. She sounded frightened.
I hope they'll be ok.

My brother lives in Palm Harbor, right in the bull's eye of where it was predicted to hit for the last 2 days. He was really worried, no hurricane shutters on his house.

Then this afternoon it veered east and hit right at Sanibel Island, near Ft. Myers, and into Charlotte harbor. My uncle lives in Cape Coral, just barely south of where the eye hit and he got the worst part of the storm. No power or water, but still has phone service. He's ok so far. Says it's a real mess there now. the roof blew off of the Cape Coral Hospital.

The eye of Charley went "east" of Lakeland, actually a little "east" of Winter Haven and the wind should be dying down in that area within the next few minutes. It appears they might have had rain and 40-50 mph winds, but I can't be sure from the local radar.

Hope all is well with your sister !

java

edit: I can't tell east from west. Sorry!

yeah, it looks like charley is coming straight for us. luckily it has lowered in intensity