Please please take care everyone.
Just hours before Hurricane Charley prepared to slam into Florida's Gulf Coast , it swelled to a Category 4 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph, and its path veered to take it directly over Orlando.
The hurricane is "rapidly intensifying and moving toward the Florida coast," said Ben Nelson, state meteorologist.
Gov. Jeb Bush again warned coastal residents to take cover, and officials said the storm could bring heavy rain and 100 mph, hurricane-force winds to Central Florida.
As of 2 p.m., Hurricane Charley's projected path would have it making landfill around Port Charlotte on the Gulf Coast and then moving northwest across the state through Polk, Osceola, Orange, Seminole and Volusia counties, according to the National Hurricane Center.
That projected path would take it directly over the city of Orlando, creating the biggest threat the city has seen in decades, emergency officials said.
Orlando Mayor Warns Of Worst Storm Since 1960
The mayor of Orlando said that Hurricane Charley is coming closer to Orlando than originally anticipated Friday and warned it could be the worst storm to hit the city in more than 40 years.
"The last time we had a storm of this type that actually came directly through Orlando was Donna in early 1960," Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said in a phone interview with Local 6 News Friday.
Hurricane Donna was a Category 4 storm that went through Central Florida in 1960, Local 6 News reported. It caused extensive flooding and was blamed for 50 deaths.
Dyer said Orlando and Orange County residents should get to emergency shelters or homes as soon as possible because severe weather will be in the region most of Friday afternoon.
"In all likelihood, it's (storm) coming closer to Orlando than we've been anticipating," Dyer told Local 6 News.
Hurricane Charley was upgraded to a dangerous Category 4 storm packing 145 mph winds as it continued to move toward Orange County, according to Local 6 News.
Officials said the storm could bring hurricane force-winds to Orange County and Lake County.
Orlando is expected to get heavy rain, power outages and heavy wind.
Just hours before Hurricane Charley prepared to slam into Florida's Gulf Coast , it swelled to a Category 4 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph, and its path veered to take it directly over Orlando.
The hurricane is "rapidly intensifying and moving toward the Florida coast," said Ben Nelson, state meteorologist.
Gov. Jeb Bush again warned coastal residents to take cover, and officials said the storm could bring heavy rain and 100 mph, hurricane-force winds to Central Florida.
As of 2 p.m., Hurricane Charley's projected path would have it making landfill around Port Charlotte on the Gulf Coast and then moving northwest across the state through Polk, Osceola, Orange, Seminole and Volusia counties, according to the National Hurricane Center.
That projected path would take it directly over the city of Orlando, creating the biggest threat the city has seen in decades, emergency officials said.
Orlando Mayor Warns Of Worst Storm Since 1960
The mayor of Orlando said that Hurricane Charley is coming closer to Orlando than originally anticipated Friday and warned it could be the worst storm to hit the city in more than 40 years.
"The last time we had a storm of this type that actually came directly through Orlando was Donna in early 1960," Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said in a phone interview with Local 6 News Friday.
Hurricane Donna was a Category 4 storm that went through Central Florida in 1960, Local 6 News reported. It caused extensive flooding and was blamed for 50 deaths.
Dyer said Orlando and Orange County residents should get to emergency shelters or homes as soon as possible because severe weather will be in the region most of Friday afternoon.
"In all likelihood, it's (storm) coming closer to Orlando than we've been anticipating," Dyer told Local 6 News.
Hurricane Charley was upgraded to a dangerous Category 4 storm packing 145 mph winds as it continued to move toward Orange County, according to Local 6 News.
Officials said the storm could bring hurricane force-winds to Orange County and Lake County.
Orlando is expected to get heavy rain, power outages and heavy wind.
