Hurricane Charley (2004)

Hurricane helper

2005-11-20 00:00:00

THE FEDERAL Emergency Management Agency said last week that it has run out of money to pay insurance claims from this year's hurricanes. Not counting Wilma, the claims top $22 billion. So you'd think the troubled agency would be eager to reduce future...

Cabbage Key: An isolated travel getaway

2008-06-03 11:59:42

The boat pushed away from the dock, eased past the pelican perched on a piling, and looped out into Pine Island Sound. What is it about being on water that makes you feel you're in Florida? Useppa Island swam up on our right, buff with houses reminiscent...

Birthday-suit cruises and other surprises

2005-10-30 00:00:00

THE travel industry continues to evolve, with surprising trends popping up regularly. Here are a few new wrinkles. �� A travel agency in Austin, Texas, chartered a 1,400-passenger Carnival cruise ship for a nudist cruise of the Caribbean — and, to...

In the storms' wake, conflicting reports can cloud conditions

2004-10-10 00:00:00

There's nothing like a natural disaster at a tourist destination to kick the machine of public relations into full spin cycle. Appealing for aid, governments paint a dark picture of destruction. Eager to regain business, the tourism industry cranks out...

Two-week holiday break part of Orange 2013-14 calendar proposal

2012-10-23 16:36:55

New tile roof may not save you money

2011-06-21 00:00:00

Many South Floridians think tile roofs are among the strongest against hurricanes. For years, insurance companies gave homeowners discounts on their premiums for installing them. But some insurers have stopped giving the discounts because of the state'...

Time still moves slowly on Sanibel, Captiva islands

2011-07-18 07:48:00

If you're in a hurry, you don't belong on Sanibel. That friendly admonition has been a pearl of wisdom on this leisurely Gulf Coast island for decades. In the 1970s, when a high-school buddy and I used to take day trips across the remote Alligator...

Beware those "lesser" hurricanes

2011-06-13 16:22:12

We have a natural tendency to discount the "weaker" hurricanes, those Cat. 1 and 2 cyclones that seem so run-of-the-mill compared with the Cat. 4 and 5 beasts that show up from time to time.But the smaller tempests are sometimes......

Disney guidebook grew from couple's 1,400 visits and 400 photos

2009-08-14 00:00:00

For travel authors Julie and Mike Neal, the key to creating a comprehensive Walt Disney World guidebook was an act of God. Literally. It was Hurricane Charley, in 2004, that forced the Neals to leave their home in Sanibel Island for a residence in...

Read the Hurricane Charley blog from Aug. 13, 2004

2009-08-07 13:07:10

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Today is Friday the 13th, does it make you nervous?

2011-05-13 05:59:56

For those of you who suffer from friggatriskaidekaphobia, the fear of Friday the 13th, or triskaidekaphobia, the fear of the number 13, today is the only Friday the 13th this year. What is to fear from Friday the 13th or the number 13, you may ask?...

Some Cities Forego Fireworks Due To Lack Of Cash

2009-06-29 00:00:00

Mayor Bill Cervenik has spent a lifetime celebrating the Fourth of July curled up on a blanket in this city's Memorial Park beneath bursts of fireworks across a darkened Ohio sky. People have long considered the fireworks a treasure of this Cleveland...

Areas affected: Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina Date: August 2004 Death toll: 15 direct, 20 indirect Damages? $218 million (2007 USD)

2013-03-29 09:30:02

Hurricane Frances hit the state of Florida in late August 2004, just three weeks after Hurricane Charley passed through. The storm left seven dead, 42 injured and $12 billion of damage in its wake.

2013-01-28 07:48:00

A shredded palm tree stands amongst rubble in Punta Gorda, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2004 after hurricane Charley passed through the night before.

2011-08-25 13:16:14