|
| Event
Description
Charley was identified as a tropical
depression on August 9, just east of Grenada in the Winward Islands. On
the 10th, it reached tropical storm strength in the southern Caribbean,
and on the 11th hurricane strength just south of Jamica. On the night of
August12-13th, Charley crossed western Cuba as a Category 2 hurricane
with winds near 105 mph, and in the early morning a tropical storm watch
was raised for the Carolina Coast from South Santee River to Cape Fear.
Winds increased to 110 mph as the storm moved north, passsing west of
Key West on the morning of the 13th, as the tropical storm watch was
extended to Oregon Inlet, NC. Charley strengthened to Category 4 with
winds near 145 mph before making landfall in the late afternoon on the
west coast of Florida between Fort Myers and Tampa, in Charoltte County,
as a tropical storm warning was upgraded to a hurricane warning along
the Carolina Coast to Cape Lookout.
Charley crossed the Florida peninsula
during the night, weakening to Category 1 strength with winds around 85
mph before moving off the east coast near Daytona on the early morning
on August 14. Accelerating forward speed to around 30 mph as it moved
northeast just off the coast, the center of Charley made landfall at
about 9 am just south of Georgetown, SC at Cape Romain as a weak
Category 1 hurricane, with 2 minute sustained wind estimated near 75
mph.
Moving inland, Charley was downgraded to
tropical storm strength. Charley moved off the coast near Virginia Beach
on the evening of the 14th and crossed Long Island, NY and southern New
England on the morning of the 15th.
|
Visible Satellite Image of Hurricane Charley taken on
August 14, 2004 at 12:45 pm EDT (click to enlarge) |
| Plot of
Highest
Winds
Preliminary and Experimental Maximum
Sustained Wind Swath, courtesy of HRD
(click to enlarge) |
Highest Winds
(Note: Official NWS or FAA sites are shaded in gray)
|
Location |
Peak Wind
(Direction/Speed) |
Time (EDT) |
|
Pender County |
| Surf City
Fire Department |
Gust: 51 mph |
|
|
Watha |
Gust: 45 mph |
|
|
New Hanover County |
|
Wilmington Intl. Airport |
2 minute sustained: 170/55 mph |
1331 |
|
Gust: 170/74 mph |
1333 |
|
Johnnie Mercer Pier (Wrightsville Beach) |
6 minute sustained: 189/70 mph |
1336 |
|
Gust: 194/85 mph |
1342 |
| Battleship
USS North Carolina |
Gust: 70 mph |
|
| UNC
Wilmington Marine Science Center |
Gust: 83 mph |
|
| NC State
Port (anemometer 65 ft) |
Gust: 92 mph |
|
| Coast Guard
Station Wrightsville Beach |
Gust: 72 mph |
|
| Bay Shore
Estates (anemometer 110 ft) |
Gust: 93 mph |
|
| Carolina
Beach |
Gust: 70 mph |
|
| Wilmington,
near MLK Parkway & College Rd. |
Gust: 58 mph |
|
| Kure Beach |
Gust: 63 mph |
|
| Myrtle Grove
|
Gust: 63 mph |
|
|
Brunswick County |
| Southport
Airport |
Sustained:
180/38 mph, Gust: 59 mph |
1300 |
| Sunset Beach
(hourly readings) |
Sustained:
107/53 mph, Gust: 61 mph |
1100 |
| Southport NC
State Pilot |
Gust: 85 mph |
|
| Oak Island
39th Pl. W |
Gust: 76 mph |
|
| Oak Island
43rd St. E |
Gust: 61 mph |
|
| St. James
Plantation |
Gust: 67 mph |
|
| Holden Beach |
Gust: 85 mph |
|
|
Horry County |
|
North Myrtle Beach
Airport |
2 minute sustained: 110/41 mph |
1138 |
|
Gust: 110/57 mph |
1138 |
|
Myrtle Beach Airport |
2 minute sustained: 310/40 mph |
1150 |
|
Gust: 52 mph |
1045 and 1150 |
|
Springmaid Pier (Myrtle Beach) |
6 minute sustained: 055/45 mph |
1206 |
|
Gust: 61 mph |
1124 and 1200 |
| Little River
Fire Department |
Gust: 57 mph |
|
| Myrtle Beach
Pavilion |
Gust: 75 mph |
|
| Loris |
Gust: 57 mph |
|
|
Surfside Beach Town Hall |
Sustained:
59 mph |
1000 |
| Gust: 98 and
100 mph |
following
storm |
|
Georgetown County |
| Georgetown |
Gust: 57 mph |
|
|
Columbus County |
| Whiteville
(readings every 20 minutes) |
Sustained:
350/17 mph, Gust: 33 mph |
1255 |
|
Florence County |
|
Florence Airport |
2 minute sustained: 020/23 mph |
1342 |
|
Gust: 020/29 mph |
1342 |
|
Offshore Waters |
|
Frying Pan Shoals Buoy, 35 nm SE of Bald
Head Island |
8 min sustained: 177/41 mph |
1250 |
|
Gust: 180/56 mph |
1245 |
|
Rainfall
North Carolina
-
Wilmington Intl. Airport:
2.02" (1.27" from 1053-1153 EDT)
-
Southport Brunswick
Airport: 2.26" (1.65" from 1020-1140 EDT)
-
Whiteville Columbus
Airport: 1.88" (1.26" from 1235-1336 EDT)
-
Elizabethtown Airport:
2.19" (1.42" from 1220-1340 EDT)
-
Elizabethtown Cooperative
Observer Station: 3.32"
-
Lumberton: 0.62"
-
Burgaw 3W Cooperative
Observer Station: 3.32"
-
Longwood: 1.80"
-
Whiteville 5S Cooperative
Observer Station: 3.22"
-
Moores Creek: 1.56"
-
Battleship USS North
Carolina: 1.39"
-
UNC Wilmington Marine
Science Center: 2.14"
-
Kure Beach: 1.43" (0.85"
from 1100-1200)
South Carolina
-
North Myrtle Beach: 1.52"
(1.13" from 1000-1200 EDT)
-
Loris: 3.09"
-
Conway: 4.25"
-
Conway, Horry County EOC:
3.97"
-
Myrtle beach Pavilion:
2.60"
-
Little River Fire
Department: 1.69"
-
Outland: 2.97" (in 6
hours)
-
Florence: 0.03"
Flooding:
Heavy rains occurred as a rain band just ahead of the storm center
caused ponding, especially in Georgetown and Horry Counties. Rainwater
flooding occurred in other low lying areas but generally drained in a
couple of hours. |
Wilmington, NC Radar Estimated Rainfall from
1000-1300 EDT (click to enlarge) |
Lowest Pressure:
-
Wilmington Intl. Airport: 1005
mb at 1250 EDT
-
Johnnie Mercer Pier
(Wrightsville Beach): 1007.3 mb at 1336 EDT and 1342 EDT
-
Sunset Beach Pier: 998 mb at
1200 EDT
-
North Myrtle Beach Airport: 998
mb at 1209 EDT
-
Springmaid Pier, Myrtle Beach:
998.2 mb at 1142 EDT
-
Florence Airport: 1014 mb at
1152 EDT
-
Frying Pan Shoals Buoy (35 nm SE
of Bald Head Island): 1014.4 mb at 1150 and 1250 EDT
Storm Tides:
Because the surge occurred
near astronomical low tide, the surge made the storm tide comparable to a
very high astronomical high tide.
Long Bay...
-
Myrtle Beach Springmaid Pier:
7.19' at 1130 EDT...About 6' surge.
-
Brunswick County Beaches:
Estimated 7-8' surge. Minor overwash at St. James Plantation. 2-3' Coastal
Flooding at Bald Head Island, where overwash occurred along a sandbagged
stretch of beach, over roads damaged by Alex, and under some homes on
pilings.
Onslow Bay...
Beach Erosion:
Bald Head Island (Cape Fear in Brunswick County) lost more along a
sandbagged area, where more asphalt was lost. No erosion reported elsewhere.
Tornadoes: None.
Storm Effects:
Evacuations were mandatory in Georgetown and Horry Counties east of U.S. 17,
and about 180,000 people left the Grand Strand. In North Carolina,
evacuations were mandatory on Brunswick County beaches and voluntary
elsewhere. Up to 1,000 were sheltered, and most shelters were closed by the
end of the day.
Deaths or Injuries:
Only a few minor injuries were reported. No deaths.
Damage: Most
damage was along and east of the path of the storm center, mainly in New
Hanover and Brunswick Counties where insurance claims are expected to exceed
$10 million. Power outages there were widespread due to
snapped and uprooted trees and limbs on power line. Many signs and some gas
pump roofs were downed.
-
Brunswick County: About
$6.3 million in damage. Considerable
roof and siding damage and some structural damage from wind, trees, and
debris. Total estimate 2,231 structures damaged, 231 with major damage (at
least 20% building value) and about 40 destroyed. Damage at Sunset Beach to
221 homes, 106 homes at Oak Island, 202
homes and 96 condos at Caswell Beach, and 16 homes destroyed at Calabash.
Crops: 50% of the tobacco, 30% of corn and 30% of field vegetables.
-
New Hanover County: About
$3 million in damage to buildings, businesses and in government expenses.
Unincorporated areas of county: $1.3 million at Wrightsville Beach, $282
thousand at Kure Beach. Vegetative debris widespread, plugged storm drains
and contributed to ponding and flooding the next day.
-
Pender County: $875
thousand in damage, following $1.27 million in damage from an F2 tornado in
the remnants of Tropical Storm Bonnie in Rocky Point on the morning of
August 13th, which killed 3 people.
-
Columbus County: 5 Houses had
trees on the roofs.
-
Bladen County: Trees fell on a
few houses.
-
Horry and Georgetown Counties:
About $5 million in insurance claims, mostly along the Grand Strand of Horry
County. Downed trees, roof damage and flooding along the coast due to wind and rain.
Rainwater flooding inland. 65,000 lost power. Surfside Beach damage $50
thousand. Georgetown County Government damage and cleanup costs $1.5
million.
Radar (base reflectivity)
Data from Wilmington, NC (click to enlarge):
1030 EDT Radar Image |
1100 EDT Radar Image |
1130 EDT Radar Image |
1200 EDT Radar Image |
1230 EDT Radar Image |
1300 EDT Radar Image |
Data from Springmaid Pier (Myrtle Beach, SC):
| |
weather.gov 
