This year marks the 20th anniversary since Hurricane Charley wreaked havoc on parts of the Sunshine State. During the hurricane season of 2004, storms accounted for nearly $40 billion in damage collectively and killed nearly 100 people, according to the Florida Department of Health. The first storm to hit Florida that year was Tropical Storm Bonnie on Aug. 12, 2004. Bonnie struck the Florida Panhandle with sustained winds of 45 mph. Just one day later, Hurricane Charley made landfall in Charlotte County on Aug. 13, 2004. It was roughly a 30-hour period of rapid intensification as people living in Southwest Florida up to Polk County braced for severe impacts. Charley was a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of nearly 150 mph. The hurricane caused catastrophic damage to coastal and inland communities. People living in Polk County explained that 20 years later, Charley will never be forgotten. "I remember vividly because right at 7 pm everything just went dark," Lake Wales resident, Kat Gate-Skipper, said. MORE: https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/community-connection/hurricane-charley-20-years-later/67-66eaa37b-5afa-490e-b243-dbcc5550eb99 ►Subscribe: https://on.wtsp.com/youtube ►Website: https://www.wtsp.com/ ►Facebook: https://facebook.com/10TampaBay ►X: https://twitter.com/10TampaBay