Remembering Hurricane Charley - Storm caused $15 billion in damages

YOU CAN HAVE STORM SURGE AND TORNADOES FAR REMOVED FROM THE CENTER OF A CYCLONE. OUR BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED HAPPENED 10 YEARS AGO, THE LESSON -- NEVER GET COMPLACENT. THE 2004 SEASON FOR CENTRAL FLORIDA STARTED WITH CHARLEY. $15 BILLION IN DAMAGE, 10 PEOPLE KILLED IN THE U.S. A WIDE PATH OF DESTRUCTION. IT WAS A HURRICANE THAT PEOPLE IN THESE PARTS WILL NEVER FORGET. AUGUST 13, 2004. HURRICANE CHARLEY WALLOPED FLORIDA. WE'LL TAKE COVER FOR A MOMENT. IT IS GETTING EXTREMELY NASTY. FIRST THE SOUTHWEST AN JUST A FEW HOURS LATER ORLANDO. AT THE TIME, CHARLEY WAS THE STRONGEST HURRICANE TO HIT THE U.S. SINCE ANDREW IN 192. THE CENTER WAS ORIGINALLY FORECASTED TO MAKE LANDFALL AROUND TAMPA. WITHIN 12 HOURS OF COMING ASHORE IT CURVED TO THE RIGHT AND TOOK AIM DIRECTLY AT CENTRAL FLORIDA. THE EYE OF THE STORM WENT THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE STATE THROUGH POLK COUNTY. THIS WAS WICKED WIND. CHARLEY PEAK INTENSITY AT CATEGORY FOUR WITH WINDS AT 150 MILES AN HOUR. PUNTA IGNORE D AND PORT CHARLOTTE WERE LEVELED. DOZENS OF HOMES WERE WIPED OUT. WE SURVEYED THE DAMAGE FROM CHOPPER 2. IT IS HEART BREAKING, IT IS SICKENING. CHARLEY PLAYED NO FAVORITES. CHARLEY WAS NO FRIEND AS HE ROLLED THROUGH PUNTA GORDA. AS IT MARCHED OVER ORLANDO, WINDS STILL WHIPPED AT 105 MILES AN HOUR. TREES MANY COLLEGE PARK WERE SPLITTERED, MORE THAN HALF THE PLANES AT ORLANDO EXECUTIVE AIRPORT WERE DESTROYED OR DAMAGED. THE ROOF AT BROOKSHIRE ELEMENTARY WAS PEELED RIGHT OFF. SEMINOLE COUNTY SAW SOME OF THE HIGHEST WINDS EVER RECORDED FROM A HURRICANE IN THE AREA. IT KIND OF RIPPED. I SAID, MY GOD. ANYONE WHO LIVED IN CENTRAL FLORIDA HAS THEIR OWN CHARLIE MEMORIES. HERE AT WESH 2, I WAS BOTH STORM FORECASTING AND BABY FORECASTING. I WAS NEARLY NINE MONTHS PREGNANT WHEN CHARLEY ARRIVED. HURRICANE CHARLEY CHANGED LIVES FOR THOUSANDS IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. IT IS THE ULTIMATE REMINDER OF