Charley

In August 2004, category IV Hurricane Charley struck Charlotte Harbor and roared into Punta Gorda,FL with a top recorded wind speed of 180 mph.

Last week, we vacationed in the area impacted by Charley and I looked around for signs of both damage and recovery. They’re there in spades. It isn’t difficult to envision the terror that must have occupied the minds of those who decided to ride out the blast. There are literally dozens of commercial buildings in Punta Gorda that stand – if you call it standing – unoccupied a year a half after the storm raged through. Structures with window blown out, roofs gone, and signs twisted and blown out will be part of the local landscape for what appears to be many more months in the future.

The same can be said for residences, but there are ample signs that optimism reigns. While there are still roofs to be tiled and windows to be re-glazed, most of the houses have been repaired and look nearly as good as new. But among the buildings and the fields there are scars that will not be wiped away for many years. Trees stand as skeletons; all vegetation was blown away and they died without falling.

As we drove north from Ft. Myers, we came upon a huge number of trailers, `FEMA City’, where thousands rendered homeless still live in what appear to be horrible conditions. Our friends told us that there are far fewer such dwellings as there were in the months directly after Charley, but the sight remains depressing.

North of Punta Gorda where we stayed, signs of storm damage is not so evident and redevelopment and recovery is proceeding at a rapid pace. Optimism seems to abound in Englewood and Venice, and there is little indication that government, federal or state, is being held accountable for long term problems associated with Hurricane Charley. One very depressing sight was a massive open space filled with hundreds of empty trailers owned by FEMA that were going unutilized despite great damage across the entire Gulf Coast.

There are signs of a real estate slow down, but it hasn’t seemed to impact much. Apparently, houses stay on the market longer, but there are no signs of a collapse. While there is concern, no one is panicking. Our interaction with people was mostly limited to old friends who suffered almost no damage from storms and who exhibited the same sense of optimism we noted almost everywhere we stopped. Things seem good in the Sunshine State.

One topic of discussion that does not auger well for the Bush administration is the Medicare prescription drug program. Our friends are mostly intelligent, educated, prosperous and determined people, but they all have horror stories when it comes to figuring out which plan is best for them. I can only speculate how difficult the situation must be for folks without such characteristics. If there is an opening for the Democrats in Florida it will be in entitlements.

My experience was time, place, and people limited, so I can only suggest that you compare this posting with the experiences of others traveling to Florida and other areas impacted by hurricanes over the past couple of years. My guess is that the Democrats have great openings, but they better not assume that they’re shoo ins.

Blog on!

Wild Bill