Hurricane Charley was an intense, compact, swift moving storm. Figure 6 presents wind speeds within the hurricane at landfall from a surface wind field analysis provide by the NOAA Hurricane Research Division of the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/Storm_pages/charley2004/wind.html, 18 Aug 2004). As can be seen from the graphic, the eye of the hurricane at landfall may only have been 8-10 km wide (5 or 6 miles). Maximum observed surface wind speeds of 123 kt occurred 5 nautical miles SE of the eye; the extent of the most intensive and destructive winds was small. The path of the storm brought the core of the hurricane force winds to bear on North Captiva and Captiva Islands, producing an ocean breach on North Captiva at its narrowest point (Fig. 7). The intense core then proceeded northeast impacting the mangrove islands at the north end of Pine Island NWR in Pine Island Sound and, after crossing over the northern segment of Pine Island, hitting the northern mangrove islands of Matlacha Pass NWR. Charley then moved northeast into Charlotte Harbor and inland across Florida. JNDDNWR on Sanibel Island received less damage than the Captiva Islands as it was further south and east of the eye and core.

Figure 6. Depiction of the surface wind field of Hurricane Charley just prior to landfall near Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Analysis and graphic provided by NOAA's Hurricane Research Division of the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/ hrd/Storm_pages/charley2004/ wind.html). The eye of the hurricane is west of the arrow depicting the forward motion of the storm. [larger image]

Figure 7. Aerial photograph of the breach at North Captiva Island. Graphic provided by the USGS Coastal & Marine Geology Program, Hurricane and Extreme Storm Impact Studies. Accessed November 2004 <http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/hurricanes/ charley/index.html>. [larger image]

Although it produced intense surface winds, only a small storm surge accompanied the storm as it made landfall in the area of the JNDDNWR Complex. Figures 8 and 9 present initial data on the observed storm surge from on-site visits by the Coastal High Water Study Team under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The highest levels occurred seaward along the path of the intense core of the storm - North Captiva and Captiva Islands (Fig. 8). Behind the barrier islands, the storm surge was lower (Fig. 9), but again the highest surge was along the path southeast of the storm's eye - at the shoreline of the north segment of Pine Island. Storm surge heights, however, were relatively modest at 4-9 ft (1.2-2.7 m) at their highest point. Brian Jarvinen, storm surge specialist with the National Hurricane Center, reported that forecasters originally predicted a storm surge of up to 18 feet or 5.5 m (J. Thompson, St. Petersburg Times, 17 August 2004). As the storm approached the coast, however, it intensified from a Category 2 to Category 4 hurricane, increased its forward speed to 25 mph (40 kph), and the core of the hurricane force winds shrank from 24 to 10 miles (38 to 16 km) across. A lower than expected storm surge resulted due to a small zone of winds capable of producing a storm surge, the fast speed that lessened the build up of water ahead of the storm, and the low tide at the time of landfall.

- Figure 8. Visually estimated open coastal high water levels during Hurricane Charley (based on unsurveyed estimates subject to change and corrections) August 24, 2004. Data and Figure provided to USGS by the Coastal High Water Study Team under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). [larger image] - Figure 9. Visually estimated open coastal high water levels during Hurricane Charley (based on unsurveyed estimates subject to change and corrections) August 24, 2004. Data and Figure provided to USGS by the Coastal High Water Study Team under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). [larger image]