Hurricane Charley - Port Charlotte, FL - August 13, 2004
Hurricane Charley strengthened rapidly just before striking the southwestern coast of Florida, over Charlotte Harbor, as a Category Four hurricane. Although extremely small in size, Charley produced sustained winds of 150mph and gusts to near 175mph, causing catastrophic wind damage in the communities of Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda, FL. The Charlotte County Medical Center recorded an unofficial gust of 150kts (173mph) and the Charlotte County Airport recorded 139kts (160mph). Charley’s minimum central pressure at landfall was 942mb (27.82in) and I recorded 950mb (28.05in) at my location near Fawcett Memorial Hospital. Veteran storm chaser Andy Dressler accompanied me on this chase.
Tagged with: 2004 • charley • cyclone • Disaster • extreme • Florida • hurricane • hurricanes • severe • storms • tropical • typhoon • Weather • wind
Filed under: Hurricane Questions
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
Man that was a bad one
I was soooo lucky to be in orlando
during Charley my favorite Chinese Wokery in North Port was still delivering orders, bless their hearts. All be it the storm wasn’t nearly as violent in North Port as it was just 20 miles south in Punta Gorda but still. And what kind of people place orders during an on coming hurricane.
that building should have took down the america flag
yeah i know that chinese take out place, love the sweet and sour chicken =p
Jim…just did a video response of some post storm clips that weren’t on the documentary. We so glad to live through that one. That was one scary ass chase.
My friends and family and I all went to orlando, from St. Pete. It was supposed to knock us out. We hardly got any rain. Afterwards My best friend and I went down to help rebuild Port Charlotte. The destruction was incredible.
-.- damn hurrican changed my life forever i will nvr forget it…
I lived in fort myers during charley. I was at work for 3 days straight when charley hit. I work in a hotel and went in early to beat the storm. Parked the car under the canopy of the hotel and had my radio, 2 burner propane stove and propane camping lamp. Not fun to sit in a hotel for 3 days straight and listen to the guests complain that they want their money back because there is not electricity. I guess you should have just stayed in your house on fort myers beach? Oh Wait, its washed away.
A day after my 15th birthday, this was a hurricane seared into my memory… Just like the other 3 that hit in ‘04.
Was the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced. My heart has never pounded so fast.
Those tall Mexican Fan Palms bend around like limp noodles.
was that a catagory 3 hurricane? cause it looks lke a 3.
@boi9031
Charley was a category 4 on the immediate coastline but as all hurricanes making landfall it was probably down one category within an hour after landfall.
it ruiend mt grandparents home!
I lived in fort myers when this happened and i was 4 years old
after those 3 hurricanes we moved straight to california now im 14 almost 15 and looking back on this it was bad
omg that is worse then category 4 kinda
I helped salvage a house that was practically caved in! My poor godmother and her kids were all scared
they all evacuated before the storm came tho 
so everyone was ok.
i remember being in that one. that was the scariest thing i experienced. i was in port orange and i was about 10 years old. It changed my life forever and i will never forget it.
this happened on my b-day oh em gee!!!! never knew baybe bcuz i waz little.
whoa that happend a day befor my b-day! i was unhappy cuz i was in it and it was my birthday. as soon as the eye hit i had to go to the basement. there i got my stuff for my b-day and as it whent over our house we got in the bed room downstairs. i saw that our roof hd blown off. it was a mess! luckly i survived and i cought it on tape. icould show you but i lost my camra. ill search for it.
I had moved to Port Charlotte from Fort Myers just a week before the hurricane. I am near the river so I got a front row seat. The eye came over my house. Wathcing this footage brings shivers down my spine. They say it was a cat 4 but the hospital around the corner recorded well over cat 5 speed winds. I was lucky and my house sustained minimal damage. My heart goes out to the less fortunate. There were so many ‘blue’ roofed houses afterwards.
Good footage. Distance and wipered view pane
I’m surprized that the flag was still hangin on
I was right in the eye of the hurricane
ok cyclonejim i lived in south venice florida which is about 10 15 miles from Port Charlotte, the scary part is it was supposed to hit us dead on with its eye but at the last moment it changed course for Port C.
Yup…Charley sucked!