In a scene sadly reminiscent of several South Florida airports in the wake of Hurricane Andrew a decade ago, Charlotte Countys Punta Gorda Airport bore the early wrath of Charley as he came ashore just north of Fort Meyers late Friday afternoon. Radar data indicated that Charleys compact eye tracked northeasterward up Charlotte Harbor directly at the airport, which lies at the head of the harbor.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/features/hurricane-charley-firsthand-devastation-at-punta-gorda