TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Hurricane Charley zeroed in on Florida's west coast Friday as a major Category 3 storm packing 125 mph winds. State officials urged almost 2 million tourists and residents to evacuate as this city's downtown and neighboring areas could be submerged under water pushing ashore.
| Current estimated landfall around 4PM EST. Storm surge 16 feet. |
Charley strengthened to a major hurricane with winds estimated at 125 mph at its core, said Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The projected track moved slightly to the south, indicating the eye could hit in the Sarasota-Charlotte county area, south of the more heavily populated Tampa Bay area, meteorologist Daniel Brown said.
ALERT! ALERT! STORM TO BE UPGRADED TO CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE WITHIN THE HOUR... WINDS CLOCKED BY PLANE AT 10,000 FT: 165 MPH... GROUND WINDS HIT 145 MPH... MORE...
| Duck and cover, people. Stay safe. |
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