FEMA has now declared 25 counties in Florida as disaster areas. That's good news for those victims further inland. Aide will be more readily available for the rebuilding efforts.
Storms rolled through central Florida this afternoon - 2000+ lightening strikes recorded in an hour with more than 3" of rain in spots. According to local news additional rain will coming in off of the gulf in the Punta Gorda & North Port areas now.
They are expecting to put a figure to the fatalities in Lee County sometime tomorrow. One optimistic thing is that many people in the hardest hit areas had left for the summer, so it is possible the number will be lower than expected.
The Bradenton Herald is a very good source for information, so I wanted to make sure you had that link available to you.
Still looking for grass roots charities that will be able to offer relief and aid to the victims. The Red Cross is still requesting monitary contributions and that information can be found HERE. They are still the quickest way to get water, food, shelter and comfort to the victims. I will update with additional information when it is available.
Posted by Tammi at August 15, 2004 05:42 PM