Saturday, September 14, 2024

Hurricane Donna hits Punta Gorda in September, 1960


On Saturday, September 10, 1960, Hurricane Donna whipped into Punta Gorda leaving 12 people injured, 300 homeless, and millions of dollars in property damage in the Charlotte County area according to St. Petersburg Times of the following Monday.  The storm reached winds of 120 miles an hour,  

Parts of the roof of Sallie Jones Elementary were ripped off, major damage was done to the Charlotte Shopping Center and the cabanas in the Municipal Park were destroyed.  The iconic photo from the time was that of the steeple of the First Presbyterian Church tilted in half,





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