Hurricane Charley led Central Florida’s busiest season ever

Exactly two decades ago, Hurricane Charley struck Central Florida, kicking off the busiest hurricane season on record that the region has ever seen.

While far from the most powerful hurricane in the Sunshine State, Charley made landfall in 2004 around 100 miles south of Tampa as a Category 4 storm.

Charley started out small, rapidly intensifying before striking the state’s coast. But while the forecast model showed Charley potentially heading through Central Florida, many residents only looked at the center forecast line, which showed the storm passing through the state away from Orlando.

As a result, many people were unprepared when the storm arrived in Central Florida, according to the NOAA.

A three-day hurricane forecast for Hurricane Charley. Many Florida residents only paid attention to the center line of the model instead of the entire cone of uncertainty, leading to plenty of people in Central Florida being unprepared when Charley ultimately struck the region. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

Charley rushed through Central Florida and up the east coast of the U.S., directly killing 15 people.

After everything was over, insurance companies estimated that the economic losses from Charley amounted to $14 billion, making it the third-costliest hurricane in the country’s history at that time.

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Even two days after the hurricane passed through Central Florida, federal records indicate that roughly 1 million homeowners in the state were still left without electricity. For some of the hardest-hit areas, homeowners had to wait around 10 days to get power back.

PUNTA GORDA, FL – AUGUST 14: Debris from a mobile home park hangs in a tree after Hurricane Charley struck southwest and central Florida August 14, 2004 in Punta Gorda, Florida. Officials in Florida said at least 15 people were killed and many more were unaccounted for after Hurricane Charley left a path of destruction across Florida then continued north and struck the Carolinas. (Photo by Tim Boyles/Getty Images) (Tim Boyles/Getty Images)

Charely petered out by Aug. 15, giving some breathing room for the portions of the U.S. that had been devastated during the storm’s promenade. But that wouldn’t last long.

Just a few short weeks later on Sept. 5, Florida was struck yet again — this time by Hurricane Frances.

NASA MODIS satellite photo of Hurricane Frances at peak intensity. The NOAA estimates the center of the storm at 55-to-80 miles wide at landfall. (Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory)

Unlike Charley, Frances made landfall along Florida’s east coast as a Category 2 storm. But like Charley, Frances walked its way up the state, meaning Central Florida was again victim to a powerful hurricane.

“It struck in the early-morning hours of Sept. 5, bringing Category 2 winds and heavy rain,” the NOAA states. “It picked up speed over Florida but managed to cause damage throughout most of Central Florida, especially in areas already affected by Charley.”

According to the NOAA, as the storm moved inland, it created 23 tornadoes across the state.

The losses wrought by Frances fell short of Charley, though it was still estimated at a hefty $9 billion in property damage. NOAA officials also said that Frances was responsible for nearly 50 deaths — seven directly and 42 indirectly.

A battered and upturned sailboat lies on its side at a marina in Ft. Pierce, Florida after being literally flung ashore during the landfall of Hurricane Frances. Marinas and moorings up and down Florida’s Atlantic coast sustained major structural damage from the slow-moving storm. (Photo by James P Reed/Corbis via Getty Images) (James P Reed/Getty Images)

Worse yet: on the same day that Frances struck, another storm began brewing in the Atlantic Ocean. It would eventually develop into a third hurricane: Hurricane Ivan.

Ivan departed from the prior two storms in that it didn’t make landfall in Florida; it actually came ashore just west of the panhandle in Alabama on Sept. 16 as a Category 3 storm.

However, the storm heavily damaged parts of the Interstate 10 bridge system that ran across Pensacola Bay, mainly thanks to the powerful waves created by Ivan. Furthermore, Ivan brought in 10-15 feet in storm surge, which could be felt all the way down in Tampa Bay.

Hurricane Ivan made landfall just west of Gulf Shores, Alabama as a Category 3 hurricane at 1:50 a.m. on Sept. 16, 2004. (National Weather Service)

Again, damage estimates reached nearly $14 billion and eight people died as a result.

But much of Florida’s damage from Ivan was relegated to the panhandle. The next hurricane to strike Central Florida came a mere 10 days later on Sept. 26: Hurricane Jeanne.

Hurricane Charley and Jeanne path’s in 2004.

Jeanne made landfall as a Category 3 storm in southeast Florida, which was still recovering from Frances.

“(Jeanne’s) 55-mile-wide eye crossed the Florida coast at virtually the same spot where Frances did,” the NOAA reports. “Widespread flooding rainfall of more than 7 inches accompanied Hurricane Jeanne as it slowly moved west and north over the state.”

While not as large as Frances, Jeanne initially moved along the same track, bringing severe storm surge along Florida’s east coast.

Hurricane Jeanne causing waves to crash over the seawalls in Volusia County (2004). (National Hurricane Center)

Many Central Florida residents were still building back after Charley’s rampage, which happened just six weeks prior.

“It was like watching a bad episode of the same movie. Jeanne came onshore in the same vicinity just three weeks after Hurricane Frances,” said former News 6 Chief Meteorologist Tom Sorrells.

In all, the damage was listed at around $6.8 billion, making Jeanne the 13th costliest hurricane in U.S. history.

The four hurricanes of 2004 that made landfall in Florida within weeks of one another. (NOAA)

Do you have any photos or videos of Hurricane Charley or the other storms that struck Central Florida that year?

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