Charley-ravaged island reopens
Hurricane's death toll in Florida now 22
 |  Sanibel Island resident Mark Ryan ducks under a fallen tree that rests across the upper deck of his home Wednesday. |
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 Hurricane Charley's impact on citrus crop will be felt for years.
 Floridians dig homes and businesses out of the wreckage.
 Amateur video captures the fury of Hurricane Charley.
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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: FEMA
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PUNTA RASSA, Florida (CNN) -- Florida authorities reopened Sanibel Island early Wednesday for the first time since August 12, when it was evacuated in advance of Hurricane Charley.
Inspectors on the 12-mile barrier island declared 46 properties "seriously damaged" and "unsafe" and another 78 "damaged" with "questionable" safety.
But Mayor Marty Harrity said he didn't think any property on the island was "completely destroyed."
"There's some pretty heavy damage on the beach front," Harrity said, "but over the years we've had some pretty stringent building codes, and I think we really weathered this thing."
"A little over a hundred hours ago you couldn't walk on Sanibel because of all the debris," he added, "and now we're going back."
Captiva Island, another vacation haven across Blind Pass bridge from Sanibel, remained closed Wednesday with no official estimate on when it would reopen.
The islands were the first to feel the brunt of Charley's 145-mph winds Friday before the storm rushed into Charlotte Harbor to the north and crashed onto the mainland at Punta Gorda.
Charley slammed into the islands as a Category 4 storm. Hurricanes are classified as categories 1 to 5 on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale. A Category 4 storm has winds of between 131-155 mph (201-249 kph).
Storm-related deaths grew Wednesday to 22, according to a Florida Emergency Management spokeswoman.
The state's latest estimate of storm damage added up so far was $25 million, and the Insurance Information Institute in Washington estimated that insurers were likely to pay up to $7.4 billion in claims.
That figure would make Charley the second most expensive hurricane to hit the United States. Hurricane Andrew, a Category 5 storm in 1992, was the most expensive, costing insurers $15.5 billion -- $20.3 billion in 2003 dollars.
Federal agriculture officials estimated losses to the state's citrus growers at $150 million, Florida Citrus Mutual, a growers' association, said Wednesday. The U.S. Farm Service Agency has determined that 20 percent of the region's total fruit crop has been destroyed, and the growers' association said it expects that loss estimate to increase in the coming weeks.
Statewide, Community Affairs Secretary Thaddeus Cohen said that so far 43,000 people had registered for assistance in the aftermath of the storm and that officials had approved $5.1 million in assistance as of late Tuesday.
"It's a slow progress, but we are making progress," he said.
He added that officials were trying to match people who were filing for unemployment benefits with small businesses that are trying to reopen.
Florida Power and Light officials said more than 132,000 homes and businesses remained without power Wednesday, down from a peak of 874,000. Nearly 59,000 of those customers were in Charlotte County, which includes Punta Gorda, and another 14,000 were in Lee County, home to Sanibel Island. Another 32,000 FPL customers in Volusia County, around Daytona Beach, were still out as well.
Utility spokeswoman Kathy Scott said parts of Charlotte County may not regain power until August 29.
Progress Energy Florida said tens of thousands of customers are without service in the north-central counties around Orlando and Daytona Beach. All told, nearly half a million Floridians were powerless Wednesday.
Health Secretary John Agwunobi said that several hospitals had reopened at least their emergency rooms.
Agwunobi pointed out that Florida's west coast wasn't the only to feel Charley's fury -- the storm raked a path from southwest to northeast, ravaging the central counties of DeSoto, Polk, Hardee, Highlands, Osceola, Orange and Seminole before leaving the state for the Atlantic through Volusia County and Daytona Beach.
"These counties are just as affected as the coast, and we're going to do our best to get extra support into those areas," he said.
Meanwhile, more than 4,000 National Guard soldiers handed out ice and food, and state and federal agencies joined their local counterparts to provide necessary shelter and medical care.
Tuesday, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson visited some of the counties hardest hit when the hurricane slammed ashore Friday, pledging to speed an additional $11 million in disaster aid.
Ridge, whose department includes the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said the visit was intended "to provide some hope and some help and a neighborly hand to help these families in these communities."
Thompson said about $10 million of the $11 million his department released Tuesday would be earmarked for Head Start and Early Head Start grantees. Another $1 million would go to DeSoto County Hospital and Osceola Regional Hospital, and $200,000 would be spent to provide services to senior citizens.
