Littledragon
Above The Law
(Very important information that deserves a thread on its own.)
Mike Anderson walks through Clewiston in central Florida near Belle Glade on Friday as Charley approaches.
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Hurricane Charley strengthened and picked up speed Friday as it neared the southwest coast of Florida -- growing into a powerful Category 4 storm.
The National Weather Service said that Hurricane Charley's winds had increased to 145 mph (233 kph), with higher gusts
At 1 p.m. ET, the storm was centered 70 miles (112 kilometers) south-southwest of Fort Myers, moving to the north-northwest at 20 mph (32 mph) according to the National Hurricane Center.
The National Hurricane Center predicted the center of the storm would make landfall later Friday afternoon near Charlotte Harbor, about 26 miles (41 kilometers) northwest of Fort Myers.
Hurricanes are classified as categories 1-5 on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale. A Category 4 storm has winds of between 131-155 mph (201-249 kph).
Earlier, Florida emergency officials warned southwest Florida residents on Friday that they were running out of time to flee to higher ground ahead of the storm.
"If you are in an area that has been ordered to evacuate on southwest Florida coast -- Pinellas and Hillsborough counties -- you have minutes -- to less than the next hour or so -- to move to high ground," said Florida's emergency management director, Craig Fugate, at a news conference Friday. "You have to move now. You cannot delay. Your options are running out."
Pinellas County includes St. Petersburg and Clearwater; Hillsborough County includes Tampa.
National Hurricane Center forecaster Ed Rappaport told CNN that conditions would begin to deteriorate in the next few hours, ahead of the storm making landfall by Friday evening.
Emergency officials issued evacuation warnings from the Florida Keys up through southwest Florida into the heavily populated Tampa Bay area, which hasn't taken a direct hit from a hurricane in more than 80 years.
About 1.9 million people have been urged to evacuate, Florida state emergency management center spokeswoman Kristy Campbell told The Associated Press.
Governor urges haste
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush Friday said that residents who have not heeded the warnings need to act quickly.
He said that residents in low-lying areas of the Tampa Bay should go to shelters or stay with family or friends in the area.
"When gale force winds start hitting the area, which will happen soon....law enforcement officials ... will be seeking refuge as well," Bush said. "This is not a time to be getting on the interstate."
The Office of Emergency Management said 49 shelters were open statewide.
The airports in Tampa, Fort Myers, Sarasota, St. Petersburg and Key West were closed. Orlando's last flight departure was 5 p.m. Friday; service was expected to resume at 10 a.m. Saturday. Trains scheduled to leave New York for Miami were canceled.
Almost all of the 6,500 military members and residents stationed at Tampa's MacDill Air Force Base have been evacuated. Aircraft have been moved to bases in Kansas, Nevada and Maine, a base spokesman said.
"This is a great threat to the Tampa Bay area," Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio said Friday morning. "This is serious for us because of storm surges that could reach 14 feet. We are expecting a significant amount of damage from this storm," and she added, "We're ready."
Forecasters said the storm could get even stronger before it reaches the Florida coast.
Thursday night and early Friday, Charley roared through Cuba, ripping roofs, downing power lines and pulling up huge palm trees. Havana had high winds and heavy rain, but there were no reports of casualties. A hurricane warning for the island was lifted Friday morning.
Throughout the day Thursday, Gulf Coast residents were boarding up windows and stocking up on supplies.
Officials in Pinellas County declared a state of emergency Thursday and urged 400,000 people in the most vulnerable areas to leave by 6 p.m.
Inland in neighboring Hillsborough County, officials also declared a state of emergency and told residents in three evacuation zones to leave by 6 a.m. Friday. Residents living in mobile homes and low-lying areas were also ordered to evacuate in Sarasota County, on the south side of the bay.
In southwest Florida, barrier islands and mobile homes were evacuated in Charlotte County, while Collier County ordered residents of coastal areas to leave. The Florida Department of Transportation lifted tolls eastbound on I-75, known as Alligator Alley, for residents trying to cross to the Miami area.
Mike Anderson walks through Clewiston in central Florida near Belle Glade on Friday as Charley approaches.
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Hurricane Charley strengthened and picked up speed Friday as it neared the southwest coast of Florida -- growing into a powerful Category 4 storm.
The National Weather Service said that Hurricane Charley's winds had increased to 145 mph (233 kph), with higher gusts
At 1 p.m. ET, the storm was centered 70 miles (112 kilometers) south-southwest of Fort Myers, moving to the north-northwest at 20 mph (32 mph) according to the National Hurricane Center.
The National Hurricane Center predicted the center of the storm would make landfall later Friday afternoon near Charlotte Harbor, about 26 miles (41 kilometers) northwest of Fort Myers.
Hurricanes are classified as categories 1-5 on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale. A Category 4 storm has winds of between 131-155 mph (201-249 kph).
Earlier, Florida emergency officials warned southwest Florida residents on Friday that they were running out of time to flee to higher ground ahead of the storm.
"If you are in an area that has been ordered to evacuate on southwest Florida coast -- Pinellas and Hillsborough counties -- you have minutes -- to less than the next hour or so -- to move to high ground," said Florida's emergency management director, Craig Fugate, at a news conference Friday. "You have to move now. You cannot delay. Your options are running out."
Pinellas County includes St. Petersburg and Clearwater; Hillsborough County includes Tampa.
National Hurricane Center forecaster Ed Rappaport told CNN that conditions would begin to deteriorate in the next few hours, ahead of the storm making landfall by Friday evening.
Emergency officials issued evacuation warnings from the Florida Keys up through southwest Florida into the heavily populated Tampa Bay area, which hasn't taken a direct hit from a hurricane in more than 80 years.
About 1.9 million people have been urged to evacuate, Florida state emergency management center spokeswoman Kristy Campbell told The Associated Press.
Governor urges haste
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush Friday said that residents who have not heeded the warnings need to act quickly.
He said that residents in low-lying areas of the Tampa Bay should go to shelters or stay with family or friends in the area.
"When gale force winds start hitting the area, which will happen soon....law enforcement officials ... will be seeking refuge as well," Bush said. "This is not a time to be getting on the interstate."
The Office of Emergency Management said 49 shelters were open statewide.
The airports in Tampa, Fort Myers, Sarasota, St. Petersburg and Key West were closed. Orlando's last flight departure was 5 p.m. Friday; service was expected to resume at 10 a.m. Saturday. Trains scheduled to leave New York for Miami were canceled.
Almost all of the 6,500 military members and residents stationed at Tampa's MacDill Air Force Base have been evacuated. Aircraft have been moved to bases in Kansas, Nevada and Maine, a base spokesman said.
"This is a great threat to the Tampa Bay area," Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio said Friday morning. "This is serious for us because of storm surges that could reach 14 feet. We are expecting a significant amount of damage from this storm," and she added, "We're ready."
Forecasters said the storm could get even stronger before it reaches the Florida coast.
Thursday night and early Friday, Charley roared through Cuba, ripping roofs, downing power lines and pulling up huge palm trees. Havana had high winds and heavy rain, but there were no reports of casualties. A hurricane warning for the island was lifted Friday morning.
Throughout the day Thursday, Gulf Coast residents were boarding up windows and stocking up on supplies.
Officials in Pinellas County declared a state of emergency Thursday and urged 400,000 people in the most vulnerable areas to leave by 6 p.m.
Inland in neighboring Hillsborough County, officials also declared a state of emergency and told residents in three evacuation zones to leave by 6 a.m. Friday. Residents living in mobile homes and low-lying areas were also ordered to evacuate in Sarasota County, on the south side of the bay.
In southwest Florida, barrier islands and mobile homes were evacuated in Charlotte County, while Collier County ordered residents of coastal areas to leave. The Florida Department of Transportation lifted tolls eastbound on I-75, known as Alligator Alley, for residents trying to cross to the Miami area.