Hurricane Charley was the third named tropical storm to develop in the North Atlantic in 2004 and the first of four major hurricanes to impact Florida in less than a six week period. It was the first major hurricane to impact Sanibel Island in more than 40 years. A summary of the history of storm development and its path was provided after the storm by NOAA's National Hurricane Center (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2004charley.shtml; 13 June 2005). Charley originated from a tropical wave, which developed into a tropical depression just east of Barbados on 9 August. It moved quickly west-northwestward across the Caribbean and strengthened to a hurricane on 11 August as it passed south of Jamaica. Then, it turned toward the north-northwest passing over western Cuba with Category 3 winds of 105 knots. It weakened somewhat over the lower Straits of Florida while turning northward to the Dry Tortugas. From there, Charley turned toward the southwest coast of Florida. Contrary to forecasts, just prior to landfall it made a sudden turn to the east and intensified rapidly to a Category 4 storm. The eye of Hurricane Charley made landfall on the southwest coast of Florida near Cayo Costa, Lee County, just north of Captiva Island at approximately 15:45 EDT 13 August (Fig 1). Maximum sustained winds were tentatively estimated at a devastating 130 kt - a Category 4 out of 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The hurricane traversed the Northern Charlotte Harbor, coming ashore again at Port Charlotte. It then traversed the central Florida peninsula, moving off the northeast coast of Florida near Daytona Beach, still with hurricane force winds. After moving into the Atlantic, Charley came ashore again near Cape Romain, South Carolina. The center then moved just offshore and made a third landfall at North Myrtle Beach with winds near 70 kt. Charley remained over land where it weakened and became extratropical. Its remnants finally were absorbed by a frontal zone near southeastern Massachusetts.