Ben Nelson, State Meteorologist

I remember Hurricane Charley on 
Friday, August 13.  That was one of 
the busiest days we've ever had at 
the state Emergency Operations Center with all the changes 
in track as Charley approached the 
Southwest Florida coast. We had initial concerns 
with Tampa early in the day and then with 
the slight shift in track that 
concern shifted further south towards 
Punta Gorda. and Port Charlotte

 
Wayne Sallade, Charlotte Co. Emergency Mgmt. Director

But Charley was anything but normal. 
He was much, much smaller. He was 
much to close to the coast and he 
came though here like a freight 
train at 22 miles an hour 

 
Charlie Shinkle, Statewide Recovery Manager

Like everyone else we're going oh 
my goodness, you know, we weren't expecting this. 
I hadn't boarded up the house or 
anything and I've learned a hard lesson. 
When a hurricane is in the ocean, 
prepare your house 

 
Dave Halstead, SERT Bureau Chief

With Charley, Orlando had sustained 
winds of 100 mph and a lot of damage, 
so even in that part of the state 
there was a significant amount of 
damage.

 
Chuck Hagan, State Logistics Chief

I proceeded down to Charlotte County 
to their parking lot. Upon arrival
half the building 
was severely damaged. They had lost most 
communications. I think they had one 
telephone line working. This facility was their 
Emergency Operations Center, 
their communications center and also the sheriff's station 
as well. 
 

Wayne Sallade, Charlotte Co. Emergency Mgmt. Director

At the behest of former hurricane 
center director Max Mayfield, who 
knowing that we were in a steel building, 
said that is not where I want you in 
this storm because it's probably 
about 25 miles from you, and as it 
came to be that meant we had about 
an hour. So the 15 people that were 
still with me we vacated and found 
our way to the Charlotte County 
Airport and we rode out the 
hurricane in the administration 
building, which had, at one time, been 
my alternate EOC. It had storm 
shutters, storm panels and it did very 
well and held up for us in the 160-plus mile-an-hour winds 

 
Charlie Shinkle, Statewide Recovery Manager

The morning after Charley came through 
you know we got up and went out and it 
truly looked like a war zone. I mean 
with the twisted trees and limbs. 



Ben Nelson, State Meteorologist

I remember in particular seeing lots of pets running around 
the streets of Wauchula. Just gave a sense 
for just the chaos that was going on in 
those communities. I remember 
dodging power lines as we traveled up
US 17 right through those most 
heavily impacted areas.  

 
Wayne Sallade, Charlotte Co. Emergency Mgmt. Director

First and foremost was the great 
concern that we had significant loss 
of life. In those early hours we 
did not know. We did not know until 
the search and rescue was completed 
the following day by the assisting 
fire departments that had come in 
from all over the southern half of 
the state of Florida but that was 
the great concern because the 
devastation was widespread and it 
was complete across the Punta Gorda, 
Charlotte Harbor and Port Charlotte 
communities, so the welfare of the 
citizens was my great concern 


Chuck Hagan, Florida Division of Emergency Management

Spoke to the county emergency management director, Wade, and 
advised him that our team was there fully to 
support him and within 30 minutes we 
were fully operational and was able 
to provide emergency communications 
for his personnel and then later that 
evening Craig Fugate our director 
arrived on scene.

 
Ben Nelson, State Meteorologist

To see the devastation that Charley 
brought was really an eye opener for 
me as a professional and to see just the 
impact that these hurricanes have on 
communities was really an eye 
opener for me.

 
Wayne Sallade, Charlotte Co. Emergency Mgmt. Director

You know we've been told time and time again 
by people that they were amazed that 
less than 24 hours after the hurricane 
we were able to provide commodities in 
the form of food and water and other 
things, cleaning kits and things for 
people and that was only through the 
effort of our partners here in the 
state of Florida 

Ben Nelson, State Meteorologist

I think it's rather dramatic how after 
Hurricane Charley, Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte 
really bounced back as a community. If 
you visit those locations today there's 
really not much in the way of Charley's remnants left behind.
Those communities were able to rebuild 
here in the past five years fairly quickly 
and I think it's a testament just to
how dedicated everyone at the local, state and 
federal levels were to rebuilding these 
communities that were impacted by this 
Category 4 hurricane.