Power Outage in Cape Coral, FL

Public reports power poles and 3-inch tree limbs broken.

Local law enforcement reported numerous power poles and lines down across Tammy Lane in North Fort Myers.

NWS Storm Survey revealed EF-2 tornado damage in the western sections of Cape Coral. The tornado damaged 178 structures in total. One home was completely destroyed while 14 sustained major damage and another 163 sustained minor damage. The minor damage mainly consisted of roof damage and destroyed pool cages. Over 100 power poles were knocked down along the tornado's path along with many trees. The tornado injured three people while it was on the ground for about 7 minutes.

NWS Storm Survey revealed EF-2 tornado damage in the western sections of Cape Coral. The tornado damaged 178 structures in total. One home was completely destroyed while 14 sustained major damage and another 163 sustained minor damage. The minor damage mainly consisted of roof damage and destroyed pool cages. Over 100 power poles were knocked down along the tornado's path along with many trees. The tornado injured three people while it was on the ground for about 7 minutes.

The Cape Coral Police Department reported several downed trees and power lines in Cape Coral and just south of the city.

There were several reports of trees, branches, and power lines downed across the Cape Coral area.

Thunderstorms continued to develop northward along the sea breeze front and produced a tornado that traveled due north from near the intersection of Rose Garden and and El Dorado Parkway West to near Skyline Boulevard and Veterans memorial Parkway. The damage path was less than the size of a single family home for most of the track and the average wind speed based on the damage was 65-75 MPH. The EF1 damage was of a home nearly cut in half by the tornado with wind speeds estimated at 105 MPH. The lower than expected wind estimate was a result of older building codes and the roof blowout occurred as a result of a large picture window being blown in. About 138 homes were damaged. Six homes received moderate damage and one home was destroyed. The tornado snapped several power poles and damaged numerous fences, sheds and trees. Several vehicles and boats were flipped over. There was one injury as a gentleman looked outside to see the tornado and was struck by debris. Thirty people were displaced from their homes. Damage estimates were based on a survey completed by Cape Coral Emergency Management.

Trees brought power lines down which started a fire on a nearby home. Time was estimated based on radar.

A woman watching fireworks in front of her home was indirectly struck in the head by lightning. The the main bolt of lightning struck a power pole near her yard. The energy from the bolt traveled down the power line to her home, then to her. A small fire resulted at the woman's home where the power line entered the house.

An eastward moving thundertsorm complex in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico collapsed as it moved north of the Florida Keys. The cold outflow left over from the storm created wind gusts of 40 to 50 knots along the coastal areas of southwest Florida. Winds at the Fort Myers Southwest Florida Regional Airport were sustained from 30 to 36 knots with the peak gust of 50 knots occurring at 3:17 AM EST. A 737 plane was pushed into a jetway bridge and damaged both the wing and the bridge. Emergency Management said the winds mostly uprooted trees and downed power lines. Cape Coral city officials estimated $63,450 in damage to roofs, carports, lanais, and other structures. The winds ripped the metal roof off an airplane hangar at the Pine Island Airport near Bokeella. Utility officials said Tuesday's winds left about 27,000 Lee County residents without power. Minor beach erosion occurred at Fort Myers Beach, Lovers Key State Park, and Bonita Beach. The gusty winds reached as far north as the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in the Tampa Bay area where where sustained winds of around 30 knots with gusts to 38 knots were reported between 3:52 AM EST to about 5:15 AM EST. No significant damage was reported north of Lee County.

Thunderstorms along a strong cold front produced damaging winds that knocked down several trees and power lines at the intersection of Nicholas Parkway and 4th Avenue Southeast.

Gusty winds downed tree limbs that brought power lines down near Arroyo Road. Dime size hail was also reported.

A weak F0 tornado sporadically touched down along a narrow path and downed a few trees, large branches and power lines, from near Matlacha, north to near the Burnt Store Marina, over rural northwest Lee county, before it lifted a dissipated.

Local law enforcement reported that thunderstorm winds downed several large trees and power lines between State Road 876 (Daniels Pkwy) and Penzance Boulevard near Six Mile Cypress Parkway in Ft. Myers.

Florida Power & Light utility reported that thunderstorm winds downed several large branches and power lines on Broad Street in Bonita Springs. Over 1,400 electrical customers in Bonita Springs were without power for over an hour due to the downed power lines.

A local utility company reported that thunderstorm winds downed several large trees and power lines in North Ft. Myers.

Thunderstorm winds, reported by the Ft. Myers police department and WFTX-TV (FOX) affiliate of Cape Coral, downed several large trees and power lines and caused minor roof, lanai and glass damage to homes from the intersection of Marsh and Scott Avenues in Ft. Myers to the 2700 block of 9th Avenue in Cape Coral.

The public reported, through WFTX-TV of Cape Coral, that thunderstorm winds downed a few trees, several branches and power lines along Nicholas Parkway in Cape Coral.

Afternoon storms produce strong wind gusts downing power lines and producing minor damage in Pinellas and Lee counties.

Tropical Storm Fay made its first of four Florida landfalls at Key West shortly before 5 PM on Monday, August 18th. Maximum sustained winds were 60 mph and the minimum pressure was 998 MB. Fay made its first peninsular landfall at Cape Romano shortly before 5 AM on Tuesday, August 19th with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph and lowest pressure of 989 MB. The center of the storm moved over the southeastern corner of Highlands County then northeast into the Atlantic where it stalled on the 20th offshore of Daytona Beach. Fay began to move slowly northwest on the 21st with the center reaching the Levy/Gilchrist county line late Friday morning on August 22nd. Fay moved into the Gulf of Mexico late in the evening then made a fourth Florida landfall early Saturday morning the 23rd in the Pan Handle.||Tropical Storm Fay caused $1.44 million in damage to west central and southwest Florida. Flooding caused $970,000 to roads and homes, while wind caused $470,000 in mostly minor damage to numerous homes, especially in Lee County. The flood and tornado monetary damage were listed in their respective Storm Data categories. ||Lee County���Heavy rains of 6-14 inches caused extensive sheet flow flooding from the Imperial River that runs through Bonita Springs. Flood damage was reported to numerous roads and homes with 500 residents evacuated to shelters. The preliminary damage estimates included $250,000 of flood damage to roads and $500,000 of flood and wind damage to homes with 170 manufactured homes condemned. Many of these homes had unpermitted modifications to increase their size. These modifications were destroyed leaving gaping holes in the home. Minor beach erosion was reported. The tide was 2 feet below normal as Fay made landfall then was 1 to 2 feet above normal for two days due to onshore winds. ||Charlotte County���The Punta Gorda Airport recorded a peak wind of 47 MPH at 10:13 AM EDT on the 19th. Minor beach erosion occurred but no other significant damage was reported. ||Highlands County���A 54-year-old male died on August 16th from carbon monoxide poisoning as he tested his backup generator in his garage in Lake Placid. This was considered an indirect fatality due to Fay. Widespread heavy rains of 5-12 inches caused $150,000 in flood damage to washed out roads and culverts. Prefabrication metal buildings sustained wind damage that allowed rain into the buildings of three fire stations and several buildings of an electric coop with water damage estimated at $175,000. Five homes along Arbuckle Creek received flood damage totaling $70,000. ||DeSoto County���Radar estimated precipitation showed widespread 6-10 inches in the eastern part of the county and 3-6 inches in the western part. A peak wind gust around 45 MPH was recorded at the Emergency Operations Center in Arcadia after Fay had passed to the east. No significant wind or flooding damage was reported in the county. ||Hardee County���A wind gust of 42 MPH was recorded at the Emergency Operations Center in Wauchula on the backside of Fay. A doublewide mobile home in Zolfo Springs lost half of its roof and received water damage. ||Polk County���Widespread six to eight inches of rain fell in the eastern third of the county. Radar estimated rainfall of 14 inches caused overland flooding just south of the intersection of Highway 60 and the Kissimmee River. Seven homes received up to 3 feet of water that caused $250,000 in damage. ||Sumter County���Widespread heavy rain of 6-8 inches was reported along the north county line. The peak wind gust at the airport at The Villages was 46 MPH at on the 22nd at 4:45 PM EDT. No significant flood or wind damage was reported. Sporadic tree damage brought down several power lines and poles with an estimated damage of $20,000. ||Hernando County���A peak wind gust of 47 MPH was recorded at the Homosassa COMPS station at 8:30 AM and a peak wind gust of 40 MPH was recorded at the Brooksville Airport at 9 AM; both on the 22nd. Rainfall reports and radar estimated rainfall ranged between 4-6 inches across the county. The rain caused sink holes in the Spring Hill area and shallow flooding on Pine Island. Downed trees took down power lines in the Brooksville and Ridge Manor areas. A tree fell on a home in Brooksville and an older mobile home lost part of its roof.||Citrus County���Widespread heavy rain of 6-9 inches fell across the county. Sporadic tree damage was found throughout the county but no major damage was reported. Minor flooding due to above normal tides was reported in Old Homosassa and Crystal River. ||Levy County���Tides were 2 to 2.5 feet above normal Friday afternoon and evening of August 22nd. The total storm tide reached 5 feet. A peak wind gust of 49 MPH was recorded at the Cedar Key C-MAN station on the 22nd at 11:09 AM EDT. Numerous trees were downed in the west part of Morriston and caused damage to a home and a van. Widespread heavy rain fall of 6-12 inches soaked the ground. The combination of the wind and wet ground knocked down num||Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, and Sarasota Counties���Minor beach erosion was reported with tides about a foot above normal. Several wind gusts around tropical storm strength were recorded along the beaches but were limited in duration. The surf along the Gulf beaches were 3-4 feet and numerous rip currents were reported.

Hurricane Wilma made landfall near Cape Romano in Collier County around daybreak on October 24th as a Category 3 hurricane with a 60 mile wide eye wall. Wilma then raced across far southern Florida in five hours and exited into the Atlantic just north of Palm Beach as a Category 2 hurricane. Wilma produced widespread heavy rains of 4 to 8 inches across the area but unseasonably dry conditions prior to Wilma limited flooding. Storm surge was not a problem in the Fort Myers area as winds were offshore. In Lee County...The north part of Hurricane Wilma's eye wall passed along the Lee/Collier county border. Southern Lee County received widespread minor to isolated moderate damage. A peak wind gust of 87 MPH was reported at the C-MAN station at Big Carlos Pass at 654 AM EDT. The Regional Southwest airport recorded a peak wind from the north of 79 MPH at 828 AM EDT and Page Field recorded a peak wind of 76 MPH at 812 AM EDT. An estimated 17,000 claims were made to the insurance industry and and $101 million in insured and uninsured damage was reported to numerous mobile homes, aluminum-sided structures, pool cages, shingles, and thousands of fallen trees, some onto residences and vehicles. Farther north, problems were much less notable with minor damage to poorly constructed structures and mobile homes, and scattered tree, limb, and power line damage. The debris totaled about 200,000 cubic yards, or about 1/10 of the debris left by Hurricane Charley in 2004. Power was out to about 208,000 customers at the peak of the storm.

The collective effects of Hurricane Charley in southwest and west central Florida during August 13th resulted in 8 direct fatalities, 16 indirect fatalities, 792 injuries, eight tornadoes, an eight foot storm surge in Lee County, an estimated $11.2 billion in property damage (estimated to be about twice that of the insured damage), and $460 million in crop damage. The fast movement of Hurricane Charley limited rain fall totals to 4 to 6 inches along the track of the hurricane's eye wall. River flooding of one to three feet above flood stage was found on area rivers south of Interstate 4. Hurricane Charley, a powerful but compact Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, roared into Southwest Florida during the late afternoon of August 13th, then raced northeast through the central Florida peninsula, reaching the Atlantic Coast as a Category 1 hurricane near Daytona Beach in only seven hours. In all, 1.42 million people evacuated their homes in southwest and west central Florida because the forecasted path was parallel to the coast and Charley could have made land fall anywhere from Tampa to Fort Myers. Hurricane Charley made landfall just north of Captiva with sustained winds estimated at 145 mph. The winds damaged or destroyed thousands of homes, knocked down tens of thousands of trees, and took out power to more than 2 million Floridians. The most intense damage occurred in a band approximately 10 miles wide centered on the path of the eyewall. Additional damage was seen in a band approximately 35 miles wide centered on the path of the eyewall. Rainfall was limited to 3 to 5 inches in a 20 mile radius surrounding the center, and the areal extent of storm surge was limited by the lack of buildup of high seas as the storm raced northward. The center of Charley crossed the barrier islands of Cayo Costa and Gasparilla Island at 345 PM EDT, then moved up Charlotte Harbor before making landfall at Mangrove Point, just southwest of Punta Gorda, at 435 PM EDT. By 530 PM EDT, the center was 5 miles west of Arcadia (Desoto County); at 630 PM EDT, 1 mile west of Wauchula (Hardee County), and at 730 PM EDT, 4 miles west of Lake Wales (Polk County). At approximately 830 PM EDT, Charley had exited West Central Florida, and in 45 minutes slammed into Orlando International Airport.Charlotte County took the brunt of the destruction caused by Hurricane Charley. The airport in Punta Gorda recorded sustained winds of 87 mph with gusts to 112 mph before the wind equipment blew apart. Most of the buildings and airplanes at the airport were destroyed. An unofficial wind gust of 173 mph was reported from a tower on the Charlotte Regional Medial Center in Punta Gorda. Saint Joseph's Hospital in Port Charlotte lost its roof. No storm surge was reported but Charlotte Harbor reported a four foot drop in the water level. There were four direct fatalities that were a result of blunt force trauma from flying debris. The estimated 700 injuries were a result of additional trauma caused to the 450 patients that were evacuated from damaged hospitals. An estimated 250 people were treated by three different remote medical teams dispatched throughout the county. In Lee County, Hurricane Charley caused an estimated eight foot storm surge that cut a new pass 300 yards wide across North Captiva Island. The storm surge was estimated at 4 to 6 feet at Fort Myers Beach, Horseshoe Key, and Port Boca Grand. Two direct and two indirect deaths were blamed on this hurricane. Sustained winds of 61 mph with gusts to 78 mph were recorded at the Fort Myers Regional Southwest airport. A personal weather station in Fort Myers recorded a wind gust of 95 mph. The winds damaged or destroyed 41% of the homes in Cape Coral, ripped the roof off of the post office in Fort Myers, and lead to 1.9 millions cubic yards of debris in Lee County. There was one direct death attributed to the storm when a tree fell on a person outside smoking. There were three indirect fatalities due to carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator, a candle burned down a mobile home, and one heart attack. In DeSoto County the storm shelter at the Civic Center in Arcadia lost one wall and the roof pealed back while 1,200 evacuees were inside. A wind gust of 104 mph was recorded in Arcadia where the storm downed a water tower. The majority of Arcadia's downtown was heavily damaged or destroyed and a mobile home park along State Road 72 was flattened. There was one direct fatality in a tool shed that was destroyed by the wind. In Sarasota there was one direct fatality a wind gust blew a car off the road and it hit a tree. Downed trees knocked out power and damaged homes in the eastern part of the county. In Manatee County an unofficial report of 100 mph was reported in the southeast tip of the county. Downed trees and power lines in the eastern part of the county forced officials to close the Myakka City Elementary School through August 20th. The damage total listed was estimated by doubling the insured losses. The doubling accounted for uninsured losses and damage to the public infrastructure.