20 years since Hurricane Charley hit southwest Florida [Video]

TAMPA, Fla. — In August 2004, Hurricane Charley made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm, bringing heavy damage to houses and businesses, specifically in the southwest region of the state.

It first made landfall on Cayo Costa, a barrier island in southwest Florida just west of Fort Myers, before moving onshore of the mainland in Punta Gorda. The “small but powerful storm” caused 15 deaths in the United States, Cuba and Jamaica and more than $15 billion in U.S. damages, according to the National Weather Service. 

Its maximum sustained winds were about 150 mph and ripped apart homes and businesses as it crossed the state barreling through numerous inland cities such as Arcadia, Zolfo Springs and Fort Meade. The National Weather Service said in a video that hurricane watches were announced for …