20 years since Hurricane Charley left path of destruction across Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. - Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, marked 20 years since Hurricane Charley made landfall in Southwest Florida at Punta Gorda as a Category 4 storm, wreaking havoc across the state. 

The powerful hurricane then barreled through Central Florida, including Kissimmee and Orlando, causing approximately $17 billion in damage.

Hurricane Charley just west of Fort Myer, Florida at 3:15 p.m., Aug. 13, 2004. [Credit: NOAA]

Charley was part of the infamous 2004 hurricane season, which also saw Hurricanes Jeanne, Frances, and Ivan batter the state. Ivan made landfall in the Florida Panhandle after crossing the Gulf of Mexico, causing catastrophic damage.

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Charley began as a tropical depression on August 9, 2004, near Grenada in the Windward Islands. By August 10, it had intensified into a tropical storm in the southern Caribbean, and by August 11, it had reached hurricane strength just south of Jamaica.

During the night of August 12-13, Charley crossed western Cuba as a Category 2 hurricane with winds nearing 105 mph. By the early morning of August 13, a tropical storm watch was issued for the Carolina coast, from South Santee River to Cape Fear.

Path of Hurricane Charley in August of 2004. [Credit: NOAA]

As Charley moved northward, its winds increased to 110 mph, passing west of Key West. The tropical storm watch was extended to Oregon Inlet, North Carolina. Charley then rapidly intensified to a Category 4 hurricane with winds near 145 mph before making landfall on Florida’s coast in Charlotte County, later that afternoon. 

Charley’s swift intensification and unexpected path contributed to the significant damage and loss it caused in Florida, marking it as one of the most memorable storms in the state’s history.

For Seminole County, Charley was historic. It was the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the area, with wind gusts exceeding 90 mph. The storm led to widespread power outages, leaving some places, like Altamonte Springs, without electricity for up to 12 days.

Charley’s unexpected, late shift in its path caught many by surprise. Initially forecast to strike Tampa, residents fled to Orlando, only for the storm to take a last-minute turn and travel up the Interstate 4 corridor, striking Orlando directly. In the end, Tampa was spared the worst, experiencing only minor wind gusts.

This anniversary is a stark reminder of Charley’s impact and the devastation it brought to Florida two decades ago.