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<\/p>\nHurricane Charley swept across the state of Florida 22 years ago today<\/p>\n
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Florida has seen many memorable storms over the last few decades. But today, Aug. 13, marks the 22nd anniversary of Hurricane Charley<\/a>.<\/p>\n The storm, which spanned from Aug. 9 through Aug. 15 of 2004, will go down in history in Central Florida as one of the most destructive hurricanes to ever pass through.<\/p>\n This content is imported from facebook. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.<\/p>\n Hurricane Charley’s path<\/p>\n The tropical wave emerged from western Africa on Aug. 4, according to the National Hurricane Center. <\/p>\n “As the wave progressed rapidly westward across the tropical Atlantic, the cloud pattern gradually became better organized, with cyclonic turning becoming more evident in the low clouds,” the NHC reported.<\/p>\n The system became a tropical depression by the morning of Aug. 9, before strengthening into Tropical Storm Charley in the early morning of Aug. 10, 2004.<\/p>\n “Fairly steady strengthening continued while the storm moved into the central Caribbean Sea, and when Charley approached Jamaica on 11 August, it became a hurricane,” the NHC said.<\/p>\n It continued to strengthen, reaching Category 2 status on the morning of Aug. 12.<\/p>\n According to the NHC, “The eye of the hurricane crossed the south coast of western Cuba very near Playa del Cajio just after midnight on Aug. 13… surface observations from Cuba indicate that the maximum winds were about 120 mph as it crossed the island.”<\/p>\n Radar image from the National Weather Service of Hurricane Charley on Aug. 13, 2004.<\/p>\n The hurricane later turned north-northwestward and made its way toward the southwest coast of Florida, making its way up Interstate 4 with over 100-mph winds.<\/p>\n “By late morning on Aug. 13, the maximum winds had increased to near 125 mph. Just three hours later, Charley’s maximum winds had increased to Category 4 strength of 145 mph,” the NHC reported.<\/p>\n The storm rapidly intensified from a Category 2 to a Category 4 in a matter of hours<\/p>\n Continuing on its path at increasing speeds, the hurricane made its way across the state, resulting in “a swath of destruction,” NHC said.<\/p>\n The center passed near Kissimmee and Orlando just after dusk on Aug. 13<\/a>.<\/p>\n The storm’s interaction with land caused the maximum sustained winds to decrease to around 85 mph.<\/p>\n “Charley was still of hurricane intensity, with maximum sustained winds of 75-80 mph, when the center moved off the northeast coast of Florida near Daytona Beach just prior to midnight on Aug. 14,” the NHC reported.<\/p>\n The storm eventually made its way out into the Atlantic, regaining its strength as it accelerated toward the coast of South Carolina, and made landfall once again on the morning of Aug. 14. At that time, it was a Category 1 hurricane.<\/p>\n The center then moved just offshore before making another landfall at North Myrtle Beach, Charley soon weakened to a tropical storm over southeastern North Carolina.<\/p>\n The cyclone had become an extratropical system after moving back into the Atlantic in the vicinity of Virginia Beach.<\/p>\n Charley became indistinct within the frontal zone near southeastern Massachusetts just after sunrise on Aug. 15. <\/p>\n The damage<\/p>\n Charley was part of the infamous 2004 hurricane season, which also saw Hurricanes Jeanne, Frances and Ivan. <\/p>\n Hurricane Charley had arguably the biggest impact on Central Florida since Hurricane Donna back in 1960.<\/p>\n Peak winds in the Central Florida area topped 105 mph, and because it had been such a long time since a storm like this moved through, trees came down all over, leaving many without power. Some residents lived like that for weeks.<\/p>\n![\"Image](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/2a494e27-976e-42fb-9c68-8b16676af125.png\")
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South Carolina at around noon with winds of 75 mph.<\/p>\n
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