Charley seems to be fickle. Winds are picking up and now recorded at 145 mph. That moves it into a Cat 4 status.
Along with the windspeed, momentum is also increasing: the storms going to hit perhaps two hours ahead of previous estimates.
It also seems to be veering to the east a bit. If that continues, landfall will be around the Charlotte Harbor area, south of Sarasota and far south of Tampa/St. Pete. If that turns out to be the case, then Tampa Bay will be saved from what are not projected at 15+ foot storm surges. Instead, the wind will be coming from the NE, pushing water out of the Bay.
So far here, we're seeing some gusts, but no continuous winds yet. No rain since this early morning's storm. The sky is completely grey, though, and just pregnant with possibilities.
TV and radio stations are warning that it's too late to try to evacuate now. The best bet is to hunker down, away from windows, and hope you've done your preparation adequately.
