August 13, 2004

Hurricane Charley makes landfall in Punta Gorda, FL and travels up FL’s Atlantic coast. It is less than 24 hours after Tropical Storm Bonnie also hit FL. Orlando’s Walt Disney World closes that day for the first time in its history.

Charley is the first hurricane to make landfall in the record breaking 2004 hurricane season.

While a relatively minor storm in that season, it has personal significance to me. My wife and I and our first daughter were staying at the Walt Disney World Resort as Charley came on shore. We decided to cut short our vacation and left the Orlando area about four hours before he arrived.