Glad to here Mario is OK. I had been wondering about him.
All in All we were very lucky. We survived here without any major damage. I am told Englewood is the only area of Charlotte county that did not receive major damage. I cannot beleive how close the storm came to us and how bad the destruction is just 5-6 miles down the road. The eye wall passed just east of us, that was just enough to spare this area. Another 10 minutes at sea and we would be in the same boat as Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda. My Family and several others rode out the storm in a commercial building on Highway 776 It was scary. By noon that day I had come to grips the fact my house might no longer be where I left it. By 2:00 when they said it could be a Cat 5 and aimed right at us, we were just praying to survive.
I was shocked to find a downed palm tree, pool cage, fence. and missing shingles.
Power was on by 6:30 am Saturday, meanwhile freinds just a few blocks away were without until just today. Yesterday our house served as a Cooling off and Shower Station for just about everyone we know.
Keith I have been asked to go over to Punta Gorda tomorrow afternoon to try to check the status of a condo for someone out of town. If you can get ahold of Mario find out what he needs Ice, Water, Food, etc and I will bring it over.
For that matter anything anyone can do to helpout down this way plase do, even if it just donating to the Red Cross. Charley was a two day news story but from what I have seen, and I haven't even been to the bad areas people in that area of the county are going to be living wih Charley for a while. My daughters school will be closed for two weeks and used as a Shelter for those that lost everything. I went by today to see what was needed so I could start a collection drive where I work in Tampa. I was told there are 350 people there already and more expected by tonight.
BTW: My Vegoil Converted TDI survived the storm just fine, parked outside and everything.