Coastal Change Hazards: Hurricanes and Extreme Storms

Hurricane Charley

Impacts to Trees Near Landfall

Downed Trees: This color infrared photograph located one kilometer north of the breach on North Captiva Island was acquired with NASA EAARL on August 16, 2004, three days after Hurricane Charley's landfall. (The view is down; the image is like a map.) With the counterclockwise swirl of the storm, the winds to the right of landfall blow onshore while the winds to the left of landfall blow offshore. Nearly all of the trees have been blown down with their tips pointing toward the Gulf of Mexico, indicating that this location was to the left of landfall where the wind was blowing offshore. (Color infrared turns the vegetation in the image red.) [larger version]

Stripped Vegetation: On North Captiva Island, the extreme winds in Hurricane Charley's eyewall stripped the leaves from trees leaving bare limbs. This is reminiscent of the aftermath of Category-5 Hurricane Andrew in south Florida where lush vegetation was extensively removed. [larger version]