Hurricane Charley made landfall on Florida's west coast on 13 August 2004, carrying winds of 145 miles (235 kilometers) per hour and threatening coastal areas with dangerous storm surge flooding of up to 13 feet. Florida Governor Jeb Bush called the storm's early impact devastating and warned that many families would face hardships for months ahead.
Before reaching Florida, Charley battered western Cuba for more than two hours, killing at least three people, destroying rooftops, uprooting trees, and knocking out electricity. Cuban authorities evacuated roughly 215,000 residents and 2,000 tourists from vulnerable coastal zones. Waves up to five meters struck southern coastal provinces, causing flooding.
In an unusual diplomatic gesture, Washington offered Cuba 50,000 dollars in disaster aid and encouraged American humanitarian organizations to assist the island.
Mandatory evacuation orders covering Florida's Gulf Coast, including the Tampa Bay area, were widely disregarded. The storm's eye passed over Port Charlotte and Fort Myers, where residents reported downed trees, power outages, and tornado activity. Around 10,000 homes lost power near Miami, and Walt Disney World in Orlando closed temporarily. The National Hurricane Center cautioned residents that conditions could be life-threatening.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in August 2004, in its own words.