Risk Management Solutions (RMS), a provider of products and services for the management of catastrophe risk, has updated its forecast and loss estimates (See National news) for Hurricane Charley to reflect changes in the storm's behavior on Friday.
The storm has been upgraded to a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 145mph. Hurricane Charley was currently forecast to make landfall in the Charlotte Harbor area near 4 p.m. EDT on Friday. On its current path, hurricane force winds will also impact central and northern Florida as well as portions of the Georgia coast, contributing to total insured losses of $10 to $15 billion, or more.
In 1944, a strong Category 3 hurricane struck in the same area just south of Sarasota, Florida and also maintained hurricane strength along its northward course across Florida, with gusts of 100 mph reported in Tampa and Orlando.
