LABELLE, FL. -- The National Weather Service has upgraded Hurricane Charlie
to a Category 4 storm with winds about 145 mph. The storm has shifted
slighly to the east and may be headed for North Fort Myers and the Charlotte
Harbor vicinity in southwest Florida. In LaBelle, the LaBelle Middle School
Shelter became over capacity around noon and the Country Oak Elementary
School is now open for evacuees. County officials have recommended that
residents and visitors of low lying land in western county and mobile home
occupants seek the nearest shelter.
Glades county also recommends mobile home dwellers seek shelters as soon as
possible.
From the NWS:
(Expires: Friday August 13 6:00PM EDT)
bulletin - immediate broadcast requested
hurricane local statement
national weather service miami fl
135 pm edt fri aug 13 2004
...inland hurricane wind warning in effect for hendry and glades
counties...
...areas affected...
this statement applies to persons in collier, hendry, glades,
mainland monroe, palm beach, broward, and miami-dade counties.
...storm information...
at 1 pm edt...the center of hurricane charley was located near
latitude 25.7 north...longitude 82.5 west or about 50 miles west
southwest of naples. charley is moving toward the north northeast
near 20 mph and this motion is expected to continue today with an
increase in forward speed. maximum sustained winds are near 145 mph
with higher gusts making charley a category four hurricane on the
saffir-simpson hurricane scale. fluctuations of intensity are
possible as charley approaches the florida west central coast by
late afternoon.
...precautionary/preparedness actions...
hurricane warning in effect for the southwest florida coast from
east cape sable to bonita beach. tropical storm warning in effect
for lake okeechobee. inland hurricane wind warning in effect for
glades and hendry. inland tropical storm wind warning in effect for
western palm beach...western broward...and western miami-dade
counties in south florida. tropical storm warning from east cape
sable to ocean reef. tropical storm watch in effect for the
southeast florida coast north of ocean reef including biscayne bay.
flood watch in effect for all of south florida. tornado watch in
effect for all of south florida. wind advisory in effect for metro
palm beach...broward...and miami-dade counties.
the collier county office of emergency management has issued a
mandatory evacuation for for all locations west of u.s. highway 41.
this includes the communities of marco island, copeland,
chokoloskee, everglades city, goodland, isles of capri, naples, and
naples park. in addition...mobile home parks outside the mandatory
evacuation area have been advised to evacuate. several shelters are
open in collier county. tropical storm force wind gusts are
affecting the naples area and emergency management advises collier
residents it is not safe to be outdoors. the collier county
information line for rumor control...damage reports and information
is 239.774.8444.
officials in hendry and glades counties have recommended voluntary
evacuations of mobile homes. several shelters are open.
strong tropical storm force winds with gusts to 60 mph are expected
inland from the hurricane warning along and west of a line from port
mayaca south to florida city including all of lake okeechobee. gusts
to tropical storm force are possible east of this line in metro palm
beach...broward...and miami-dade counties including west palm
beach...fort lauderdale...and miami.
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