Hurricane Charley
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IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Effects
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Hurricane Charley was the first of four separate hurricanes to impact or strike Florida during 2004, along with
After moving slowly through the Caribbean, Charley crossed
Ultimately, the storm passed through the central and eastern parts of the Orlando metropolitan area, still carrying winds gusting up to 106 mph (171 km/h). The city of Winter Park, north of Orlando, also sustained considerable damage since its many old, large oak trees had not experienced high winds. Falling trees tore down power utilities and smashed cars, and their huge roots lifted underground water and sewer utilities. The storm slowed as it exited the state over Ormond Beach just north of Daytona Beach. The storm was ultimately absorbed by a front in the Atlantic Ocean shortly after sunrise on August 15, near southeastern Massachusetts.[3][4]
Charley was initially expected to hit further north in Tampa, and caught many Floridians off-guard due to a sudden change in the storm's track as it approached the state. Along its path, Charley caused 10 deaths and $16.9 billion in damage to insured residential property, making it the second costliest hurricane in United States history at the time.[5] Charley was a compact, fast-moving storm, which limited the scope and severity of the damage.
Meteorological history
Charley began as a tropical wave that moved off the west coast of Africa on August 4.
A strong
After crossing Cuba near Menelao Mora, Hurricane Charley accelerated to the north-northeast, toward the southwest coast of Florida in response to the approach of an unseasonal mid-tropospheric
Charley weakened considerably due to its passage over land, but still retained sustained winds of about 85 mph (135 km/h) as it passed directly over
Preparations
On August 10, two days before the hurricane passed near the island, Jamaican officials issued a tropical storm warning, which was upgraded to a hurricane warning a day later.[3] In Jamaica, the threat of the storm forced the country's two airports to close, and also forced two cruise ships to reroute.[8] The Cayman Islands issued a hurricane warning on August 11, a day before the hurricane passed near the archipelago.[3]
On August 11,
The rapid strengthening of Charley in the eastern
Several local meteorologists, however, did depart from the official predictions of a Tampa Bay landfall as early as the morning of August 13. Jim Farrell[23] of WINK, Robert Van Winkle WBBH, Steve Jerve of WFLA in Tampa, Jim Reif of WZVN in Fort Myers, and Tom Terry of WFTV in Orlando all broke with their national news forecasts and stated at around 1500 UTC that Charley was going to turn early, striking around Charlotte Harbor and traveling over Orlando, as would prove to be the case.[24]
Following the Florida landfall,
Impact
Region | Direct | Indirect | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Jamaica | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Cuba | 4 | 0 | 4 |
Florida | 9 | 20 | 29 |
Rhode Island | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Total | 15 | 20 | 35 |
One death in Jamaica, four deaths in Cuba, and ten deaths in the United States were directly attributed to Charley.[3] Numerous injuries were reported, as well as 25 indirect deaths in the U.S.[3]
Property damage from Charley in the United States was estimated by the NHC to be $16
Caribbean Sea
In
Operationally, forecasters estimated that Charley struck southern
Strong wind gusts downed nearly 1,500 power lines and knocked over 28 large high tension wire towers at a power plant in Mariel. As a result, more than half of the electricity customers in
Near its landfall location, Charley destroyed 290 of the 300 houses in the village, while over 70,000 homes in
Florida
Strongest U.S. landfalling tropical cyclones† | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rank | Name‡ | Season | Wind speed | ||
mph | km/h | ||||
1 | "Labor Day" | 1935 | 185 | 295 | |
2 | Karen | 1962 | 175 | 280 | |
Camille | 1969 | ||||
Yutu | 2018 | ||||
5 | Andrew | 1992 | 165 | 270 | |
6 | "Okeechobee" | 1928 | 160 | 260 | |
Michael | 2018 | ||||
8 | Maria | 2017 | 155 | 250 | |
9 | "Last Island" | 1856 | 150 | 240 | |
"Indianola" | 1886 | ||||
"Florida Keys" | 1919 | ||||
"Freeport" | 1932 | ||||
Charley | 2004 | ||||
Laura | 2020 | ||||
Ida | 2021 | ||||
Ian | 2022 | ||||
Source: Hurricane Research Division[32] | |||||
†Strength refers to maximum sustained wind speed upon striking land. | |||||
‡Systems prior to 1950 were not officially named. |
Hurricane Charley severely affected the state of Florida. There were nine direct fatalities, 20 indirect fatalities, and numerous injuries attributed to the storm.
While moving northward to the west of the
Hurricane Charley passed directly over
The city of Arcadia in DeSoto County saw extreme damage, in spite of being relatively further inland.[35] About 95% of the buildings in the downtown area saw some sort of damage. The only shelter in the town had its roof torn open by the wind, leaving 3,500 evacuees inside unprotected from the onslaught of the storm.[36]
Hardee County saw property damage estimated at $750 million, along with six injuries, but no deaths were reported. Charley caused blackouts in the entire county, as well as damage to 3,600 homes and the destruction of 1,400. A radio tower near Sebring was toppled, along with numerous trees and power poles along the north and east side of Highlands County. Additionally, there were several reports of severely damaged homes in Polk County near Babson Park and Avon Park. In Lake Wales, Florida, a sand mine lake encroached into State Road 60 due to wave action and swallowed a car. Additionally, Lake Wales saw 23,000 buildings damaged, as well as the destruction of 739 structures. Seven deaths were reported in the county, one of them determined to be direct.[37]
Throughout the rest of the islands in
On mainland Florida, Charley produced a peak storm surge of 10–13 feet (3.0–4.0 metres) at
The most severe damage from Hurricane Charley occurred in Charlotte County. In Boca Grande, numerous houses sustained extensive roof damage, while thousands of trees and power lines were uprooted or snapped. In Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda, many buildings, RVs, and mobile homes were completely destroyed, while other buildings suffered roofing damage due to the powerful winds.[41]
Charley devastated Southwest Florida, causing $14.6 billion in property damage on the peninsula of Florida alone. Many towns such as Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte were leveled by the hurricane. Trees were downed and trailer parks were obliterated as far as Ormond Beach.[42]
Charley also caused considerable damage in the central and eastern parts of the state. Several possible tornadoes occurred, with severe thunderstorms during the duration of the storm. Winds were estimated to be at 80 mph (130 km/h) sustained near, and to the north of
Public schools in some counties in the path of the hurricane were scheduled to be closed for two weeks.[48] In some areas this was necessary because the school buildings were damaged or destroyed: all 59 of Osceola County's schools were damaged, and one-third of Charlotte County's were destroyed by Charley's impact. DeSoto County schools saw $6 million in damage, while Orange County Public Schools saw $9 million in damage to their educational infrastructure.[49]
Agricultural losses were heavy. In Florida, the second-largest producer of oranges in the world, damage to the citrus crop was estimated at $200 million, and caused a 50% increase in the price of grapefruit juice. Charley, along with the other storms that hit Florida during 2004, caused a total agricultural loss of $2.2 billion. Other crops, nurseries, buildings, and agricultural equipment also suffered.[50]
Due to its track being directly over Interstate 4, Charley is sometimes referred to as the I-4 hurricane.[51]
Rest of United States
Upon making landfall on northeastern South Carolina, Charley produced a storm tide that was unofficially measured to up to 7.19 ft (2.19 m) in Myrtle Beach. Wind gusts were moderate, peaking at 60 mph (97 km/h) in North Myrtle Beach, though there were several unofficial records of hurricane-force gusts.[3] Charley produced moderate rainfall along its path, peaking at over 7 in (178 mm).[4] Moderate winds knocked down numerous trees.[52] Flash flooding occurred in Charleston County, causing drainage problems.[53] Damage in South Carolina totaled to $20 million.[3]
In
Tropical Storm Charley produced wind gusts of up to 72 mph (116 km/h) at Chesapeake Light in Virginia, causing scattered power outages. Rainfall was light, ranging from 2 to 3.7 in (51 to 94 mm).[57] Charley produced one tornado in Chesapeake and one in Virginia Beach. In Rhode Island, one man drowned in a rip current.[3]
Aftermath
United States
President George W. Bush declared Florida a federal disaster area. He later reflected on the government response to Charley:
...the job of the federal government and the state government is to surge resources as quickly as possible to disaster areas. And that's exactly what's happening now. We choppered over and saw the devastation of this area. A lot of people's lives are turned upside down. We've got ice and water moving in, trailers for people...are moving in. The state is providing security...There's a lot of compassion moving in the area, the Red Cross is here.[58]
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson released $11 million in additional aid and other assistance to Florida, with $10 million to be earmarked to Head Start facilities that need repair or new supplies, another $1 million was provided to the DeSoto Memorial Hospital in Arcadia and Osceola Regional Medical Center in Kissimmee, and $200,000 would be spent to provide services to senior citizens. Across Florida, 114 food service operations and eight comfort stations were set up. FEMA opened four disaster recovery centers.[59]
Cuba
In Cuba, Hurricane Charley had disconnected the entirety Pinar del Río province from the Sistema Eléctrico Nacional (SEN).[60]: 4 This damage to Cuba's electricity infrastructure became part of the impetus for Cuba's Energy Revolution campaign, which decentralized the country's electricity infrastructure, promoted renewable energy sources, and drastically decarbonized its economy.[60]: 4–18
Retirement
Because of its effects in the United States, the name Charley was retired from the rotating lists of tropical cyclone names in the spring of 2005 by the World Meteorological Organization. As a result, the name will never again be used for an Atlantic hurricane. The name was replaced with Colin for the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season.[6]
See also
- List of Florida hurricanes (2000–present)
- List of retired Atlantic hurricane names
- List of Category 4 Atlantic hurricanes
- Hurricane Donna (1960) – Another Category 4 hurricane that crossed Florida from southwest to northeast
- Hurricane Irma (2017) – A hurricane that made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on the southwest side of Florida
- Hurricane Ian (2022) – A hurricane that also made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane at the same location
References
- ^ a b David Royse (August 12, 2004). "How Rare is Tropical Storm Double Trouble?". Associated Press. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
- ^ Ed Franks (August 13, 2014). "Hurricane Charley: A look back". Pine Island Eagle. Archived from the original on September 13, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj Richard J. Pasch; Daniel P. Brown; Eric S. Blake (September 15, 2011) [Original date: October 18, 2004]. "Hurricane Charley Tropical Cyclone Report" (PDF). National Hurricane Center. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Hydrometeorological Prediction Center (2006). "Hurricane Charley – August 12–15, 2004". Retrieved August 13, 2011.
- ^ "Rescuers sift debris from Hurricane Charley". The Sydney Morning Herald. Agence France-Presse. August 17, 2004. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k World Meteorological Organization (2005). "Twenty-seventh Hurricane Committee" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 25, 2007. Retrieved June 3, 2006.
- ^ Florida State Emergency Management (2004). "Hurricane Charley report". Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved August 13, 2007.
- ^ John Myers Jr.; Janet Silvera (2004). "Jamaica spared — Charley brushes past southern coast heading for the Caymans". Jamaica Gleaner. Archived from the original on January 7, 2009. Retrieved June 3, 2006.
- ^ a b "When a hurricane threatens, Cuba mobilizes". United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. 2004. Archived from the original on September 27, 2006. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
- ^ . Retrieved September 23, 2022.
- ^ Florida State Emergency Response Team (August 11, 2004). "Situation Report 1: Tropical Storm CHARLEY" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 25, 2005. Retrieved October 10, 2007.
- ^ a b National Climatic Data Center (2004). Event Details: Hurricane (Report). Retrieved September 23, 2022.
- ^ a b c d CBS News (August 13, 2004). "2 Million Urged To Flee Charley". Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 19, 2013. Retrieved June 1, 2006.
- ^ a b CBS News (August 12, 2004). "Tampa Bay Evacuation Ordered". Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013. Retrieved June 1, 2006.
- ^ Jim Teeple (August 13, 2004). "Hurricane Charley Forces Mass Evacuation in Florida". Voice of America. Archived from the original on May 22, 2011. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
- ^ Florida State Emergency Response Team (August 14, 2004). Situation Report 7: Hurricane CHARLEY (PDF) (Report). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 25, 2005. Retrieved October 10, 2007.
- ^ a b c d National Climatic Data Center (2004). Event Record Details: Hurricane/typhoon (Report). Archived from the original on May 19, 2011. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
- ^ a b CBS News (August 14, 2004). "Hurricane Charley Comes Ashore". Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved June 1, 2006.
- ^ Shaila K. Dewan; Ariel Hart; Lynn Waddell; Abby Goodnough (August 14, 2004). "Hurricane CHARLEY: The overview; Hurricane Rips Path of Damage Across Florida". The New York Times. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
- ^ Miles Lawrence (August 13, 2004). "Hurricane Charley Discussion Number 17". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
- ^ Miles Lawrence (August 13, 2004). "Hurricane Charley Discussion Number 18". National Hurricane Center. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
- ^ "Charley's Force Tricks Experts". Wired. August 14, 2004. Archived from the original on February 14, 2005. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
{{cite magazine}}
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ignored (help) - ^ "WINK broadcast August 13, 2004". YouTube. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2014.
- ^ Claudia Kienzle (November 10, 2004). "Going With Their Gut". TVTechnology.com. Archived from the original on August 16, 2006. Retrieved August 3, 2006.
- ^ Staff writer (August 13, 2004). "Hurricane Charley Update". Associated Press. Archived from the original on May 6, 2006. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
- ^ National Climatic Data Center (2004). Event Report for South Carolina (Report). Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved June 23, 2006.
- ^ Eric S. Blake; Jerry D. Jarrell; Max Mayfield; Edward N. Rappaport; Christopher W. Landsea (July 28, 2005). "Costliest U.S. Hurricanes 1900–2004 (adjusted)". NOAA Technical Memorandum NWS TPC-1: The Deadliest, Costliest, and Most Intense United States Tropical Cyclones from 1851 to 2004 (And Other Frequently Requested Hurricane Facts). National Hurricane Center. Archived from the original on May 24, 2012. Retrieved October 10, 2007.
- ^ Swiss Re (2005). "Hurricane Charley Event Report". Archived from the original on September 24, 2002. Retrieved June 3, 2006.
- ^ a b International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (2004). "Jamaica, Cuba, Cayman Islands:Hurricane" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 14, 2004. Retrieved June 3, 2006.
- ^ Jack Beven (2004). "Hurricane Charley Public Advisory number 15". Retrieved June 1, 2006.
- ^ International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) (January 18, 2006). "Cuba: Hurricane Charley Appeal No. 20/04 Final Report". ReliefWeb. Retrieved October 10, 2007.
- ^ Landsea, Chris; Anderson, Craig; Bredemeyer, William; et al. (January 2022). Continental United States Hurricanes (Detailed Description). Re-Analysis Project (Report). Miami, Florida: Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Hurricane Research Division. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- ^ a b Weisburg & Zheng (2005). "A Simulation of the Hurricane Charley Storm Surge and its Breach of North Captiva Island" (PDF). College of Marine Science, University of South Florida. Retrieved August 3, 2006.
- ^ a b Florida Department of Environmental Protection (2004). "Hurricane Charley: Post-Beach Conditions" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 30, 2006. Retrieved August 3, 2006.
- ^ Tom Bayles (August 14, 2004). "Arcadia 'looks like a war zone'". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Archived from the original on September 4, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
- ^ Staff REPORT. "Arcadia still in a state of shock". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved October 13, 2007.
- ^ National Climatic Data Center (2004). "Event Record Details for Hardee, Highlands and Polk Counties". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on May 19, 2011. Retrieved October 13, 2007.
- ^ a b c d National Climatic Data Center (2004). "Event Record Details for Charlotte, De Soto, Lee, Manatee and Sarasota Counties". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on May 19, 2011. Retrieved October 13, 2007.
- ^ "FEMA: Help Flows To Areas Hardest Hit By Hurricane Charley". Archived from the original on October 31, 2007. Retrieved December 6, 2007.
- ^ National Climatic Data Center (2004). "Event Report for Hendry County". Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2006.
- ^ a b Mark Linhares (2004). "Hurricane Charley Preliminary Storm Summary". Tampa Bay National Weather Service. Archived from the original on August 29, 2006. Retrieved August 4, 2006.
- ^ "Post-Tropical Cyclone Report—Hurricane Charley". National Weather Service, Melbourne office. August 20, 2004. Archived from the original on September 30, 2006. Retrieved July 19, 2008.
- ^ Matthew Hirsch (2004). "Hurricane Charley". National Weather Service. Archived from the original on October 16, 2008. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
- ^ "Florida reeling after Charley". Deseret News. August 15, 2004. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
- ^ "Remembering Hurricane Charley's effects on Central Florida". WESH. June 1, 2016. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
- ^ Florida State Emergency Response Team (August 21, 2004). "Situation Report 27: Hurricane CHARLEY" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 25, 2005. Retrieved October 10, 2007.
- ^ Florida State Emergency Response Team (August 26, 2004). "Situation Report 38: Hurricane CHARLEY" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 28, 2004. Retrieved October 10, 2007.
- ^ Cnn.com (2005). "Mighty Heat, hunger, debris stress Floridians". Archived from the original on September 13, 2005. Retrieved June 8, 2006.
{{cite news}}
:|author=
has generic name (help) - ^ Shaila K. Dewan (August 21, 2004). "Hurricane CHARLEY: Education; Activities Slowly Resume in Schools Hit Hard by Storm". The New York Times. Retrieved October 10, 2007.
- ^ Laura Layden (August 14, 2005). "One year later: Growing optimism: Ag industry recovering". Naples Daily News. Archived from the original on January 30, 2013. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
- ^ Boedeker, Hal. "I-4 Dead Zone: Scary legend grows". orlandosentinel.com. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ National Climatic Data Center (2004). "Event Report for South Carolina (2)". Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved June 23, 2006.
- ^ National Climatic Data Center (2004). "Event Report for South Carolina (3)". Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved June 23, 2006.
- ^ National Climatic Data Center (2004). "Event Report for North Carolina". Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved June 23, 2006.
- ^ National Climatic Data Center (2004). "Event Report for North Carolina (2)". Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved June 23, 2006.
- ^ National Climatic Data Center (2004). "Event Report for North Carolina (3)". Archived from the original on June 13, 2007. Retrieved June 23, 2006.
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- ^ "Floridians cope with hurricane's aftermath". CNN. August 17, 2004. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-520-39313-4.
External links
- NHC Tropical Cyclone Report on Hurricane Charley
- Hurricane Charley Advisory Archive
- NHC August Monthly Tropical Weather Summary—includes figures for damages and fatalities
- Lack of a standard places Charley's deaths in question
- Air Photos of Charley's Damage From FloridaDisaster.org
- Wildlife and Habitat Damage Assessment from Hurricane Charley: Recommendations for Recovery of the J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge Complex