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ORLANDO, Fla. (WESH) — The 2004 hurricane season in Central Florida was one for the record books and it all started with Hurricane Charley.
Charley made landfall on the southwest coast of Florida on Aug. 13, 2004. The storm caused $15 billion in damage and killed 10 people in the United States.
At the time, Charley was the strongest hurricane to hit the United States since Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
The center was originally forecast to make landfall near Tampa, but within 12 hours of coming ashore, it curved to the right — taking direct aim at Central Florida.
The eye of Charley moved up the middle of the state through Polk County, but it was the wind, not the rain, that packed the most punch.
At its peak intensity, Charley was a Category 4 storm with winds reaching 150 mph.
As the storm crossed Orlando, winds whipped at 105 mph, causing massive damage.
Several planes at Orlando Executive Airport were damaged or destroyed, while the roof at Brookshire Elementary in Winter Park was peeled off.
Seminole County saw some of the highest winds ever recorded from a hurricane in the area.
On Labor Day weekend in September 2004, and just three weeks after Hurricane Charley, Hurricane Frances barreled into Florida’s east coast as a Category 2 hurricane.
Only six weeks after Hurricane Charley and three weeks after Hurricane Frances slammed into Central Florida, the area was rocked again by Hurricane Jeanne.
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