Hurricane Andrew Strikes South Florida August 24,1992.

[TheShrimper]

Sanibel, please enlighten me as to where this rubble of reinforced concrete was located in Punta Gorda? I have property investments there and was up there Friday late afternoon and all day Saturday to survey the damage. Are you talking about the plaza just north of Aqui Esta? If you are, there was no steel tied from the footing to the tiebeam..I looked at the rubble very closely. It was the same in the commercial buildings that suffered extreme damage in Punta Gorda proper ( Marion St. historic district) I did go west on Marion out to PGI and again, outside of roofs getting blown off, that was the extent of the damage. Have you been to Fishermans Wharf ever? It is all wood constructed and was the closest to the east eyewall as Charley crossed Charlotte Harbor inroute to skirting Cape Haze. It remained relatively intact standing 3 stories in hieght. That said, any concrete structure that was reduced to rubble in PG, was due to uninspected slab to tiebeam, or lentil block, steel being tied or placed for that matter. I will tell you, that I personally witnessed tiebeams with steel still attached through the block cells and tied to the footer, crumbled along US 1 and Krome Ave. from Quail Roost south to Palm Drive in Florida City.

[Sanibel]

Geesh Shrimper, I wish I could give more detail but it was in the 'News Press' in a photo. It was an auto parts-type building with brown block just blown to pieces and laying in the lot behind the building site. Maybe a tornado? Who knows. I know our next door neighbor here on Sanibel had all their tin blown off their roof in two big sections during Charley. Must have been a tornadic cell. Makes me wish I stayed for Charley because it was just about the level of hurricane to ride out, yet still be safe - but there was no way to know in advance that it wouldn't be another Katrina that left only stilts and no house. The reason I evacuated for Charley was because I knew it was coming here. And also because of exactly what it did - that is, rapidly intensify over the warm Gulf waters to our south.

[TheShrimper]

Advanced Auto Parts, just south of Punta Gorda on 41. The large plate glass windows blew out which fronted the store front. And yes it was a tornado contained in a band, realizing that the store front faced to the northeast. With Charley's structure, all winds should have come out of the SE, S, SW and W as it came inland. It was most likely the same cell that reduced to rubble, nothing left, the trailer parks at the end of Burnt Store Rd. and also Windmill Village in Aqui Esta, where debris was blown to the west and in some cases to the southwest. And in reference to our local written news venue, it ain't aint nicknamed the Snooze Press for nothing. Worse newspaper I have ever read on a consistant basis.