Charley death toll at 13
Downgraded to tropical storm, Charley moves up East Coast
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ON CNN TV
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 CNN's John Zarrella on destruction in the Florida town of Punta Gorda.
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| HURRICANE CHARLEY |  At 5 a.m. ET Sunday
Position of center: Near the town of Farmingville, New York
Latitude: 40.8 north
Longitude: 73.0 west
Moving: Northeast at nearly 30 mph (48.2 kph)
Top sustained winds: Near 40 mph (64.3 kph)
Map: Projected path
Source: National Hurricane Center
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| VICTIM AID | Those wishing to assist hurricane victims are encouraged to give cash donations. These organizations are recommended by the Federal Emergency Management Agency: American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund - (800) HELP-NOW; victims and family can call (866) GET-INFO Catholic Charities, USA - (800) 919-9338 Salvation Army - (800) SAL-ARMY United Methodist Committee on Relief - (800) 554-8583
Online: www.fema.gov/rrr/help2.shtm |
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PUNTA GORDA, Florida (CNN) -- Thirteen deaths have been blamed on Hurricane Charley, a Florida official said Saturday.
According to Guy Tunnel, commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, four victims were found in Charlotte County, where the storm made landfall on Friday; two people were killed in Orange, Polk and Volusia counties; and single deaths were recorded in Desoto, Lee and Sarasota counties.
"All of these can be attributed to the hurricane," Tunnel said. Not all were killed by wind or rain; some were victims of traffic problems or stress, Tunnel said.
In Lee County, a sheriff's office spokesman said a man in his early 20s stepped outside in North Fort Meyers during the full force of the hurricane to smoke a cigarette.
In Orange County, high winds blew a moving van into oncoming traffic on a freeway, killing a young girl and seriously injuring seven others, according to Kim Miller, a spokeswoman for the Florida Highway Patrol.
Florida officials expected more bodies would be discovered and linked to the storm throughout the night and Sunday.
"Our worst fears have come true," Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said after taking a helicopter tour of Punta Gorda, the town hardest hit by the storm.
Tunnel said there were more than 30 trailer parks housing hundreds of people in Charlotte County, and it was a tedious process to check them all in addition to other homes. Rescue teams were going door to door, in some cases smashing doors down, to check on occupants.
"The problem is we really don't know who evacuated and who did not," said Punta Gorda Police Chief Charles Rinehart. "It was a voluntary evacuation, and then it turned to mandatory. So there's no real head count on who may have left and where they might be."
Charley made landfall Friday with winds of 145 mph (233 kph). At its worst, Hurricane Charley's wind gusts topped 180 mph (289 kph) in Punta Gorda.
"It is hard to describe seeing an entire community flattened," Bush said.
He said what he saw reminded him of the infamous Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Damage, he said, is clearly in the billions of dollars.
Hitting Florida's western coast Friday, Charley pounded Punta Gorda, a town north of Fort Myers, causing deaths and injuries and destroying houses and buildings.
The storm continued across central Florida, hitting Orlando before heading into the Atlantic Ocean at Daytona Beach.
After making landfall Saturday in South Carolina, Charley was downgraded to a tropical storm, National Weather Service officials said.
At 5 a.m. ET, the storm's intensity was nearly diminished below tropical storm status. It was centered over the town of Farmingville, New York, and was moving northeast at about 30 mph (48.2 kph).
In Florida, dozens were treated for serious injuries, including crushed bones and cut arteries, according to Josh Putter, CEO of the Charlotte Regional Medical Center in Punta Gorda.
He said 50 or 60 injured people drove to "or dragged themselves into" his hospital in the hours after the storm passed Friday evening. The flow of patients stopped around 2 a.m. ET Saturday.
The hospital lost power during the storm, but emergency power kept it going, Putter said. Still, the damage to the facility caused him to order the hospital closed, which meant ambulances and helicopters from all over the state were sent in to transfer patients to other hospitals, he said.
20 counties eligible for aid
Convoys of trucks were rolling down I-75 Saturday, loaded with crews and supplies needed in the massive recovery effort. Florida officials said the convoys would keep coming Sunday.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency designated 16 counties eligible for federal disaster assistance, in addition to the four given such designation yesterday. The move allows a quicker rush of funds and resources to the worst hit areas.
Mike Bolch with FEMA said federal officials were going house to house searching for possible victims and providing assistance.
Food and medical supplies were being brought to the state. And FEMA was conducting aerial surveillance, looking for survivors who may need quick assistance.
The Red Cross set up shelters in affected areas, including Punta Gorda. Spokesman Chris Paladeno said the Red Cross mobile food kitchen in Punta Gorda will produce 20,000 meals a day.
The agency has already distributed tens of thousands of meals and snacks across the state, he said.
Major power outages
In the wider region, more than 2 million people were reported to be without power, and widespread building damage and uprooted trees were said to have been sighted from the Fort Myers area in the southwest -- where the hurricane slammed ashore Friday afternoon -- to Daytona Beach on Florida's Atlantic coast. From there, the storm moved off the eastern coastline before midnight.
President Bush plans to visit Florida on Sunday to survey the damage, White House spokesman Scott McCellan said.
On the campaign trail Saturday in Iowa, Bush said, "Many lives have been affected by this hurricane, and I know you join me in sending our payers to those people looking for solace and help."
He added that the federal government was moving quickly in aid efforts.
In a statement Saturday, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry extended "heartfelt sympathies" to people affected by the storm and offered his "full support to the president and governor as the people of Florida rebuild their communities and their lives."
Landfall in South Carolina
Charley came ashore for a second time, striking Saturday near Georgetown, South Carolina. It was much weaker but still had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph). (Charley sweeps through Carolinas)
Charley will continue to move north along the eastern coast. Rainfall totals of two to four inches are likely along the storm's path.
CNN meteorologist Orelon Sidney predicted that the heaviest rain and wind would be off-shore, at least until the storm reaches New York's Long Island.
Isolated tornadoes are still possible over parts of northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia.
Copyright 2004 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
