Hurricane Charley cut a path through the midsection of the Diocese of Southwest Florida on Friday, causing billions of dollars in damage to the state, including at least one Episcopal church.

St Edmund's Episcopal Church in Arcadia has been heavily damaged, according to the Revd Greg Fry, the priest in charge of the congregation. A portion of the roof was blown off, causing damage to the sanctuary, parish house and the vicarage next door.

The Revd Fry, who lives in Sarasota, has not been able to get to the church to inspect the damage due to blocked roads. He has been in contact with people in Arcadia and has no reports of any casualties among parishioners.

The storm made landfall in Charlotte Harbor at 345pm, sweeping through Punta Gorda and heading northeast along the Peace River basin. Phone lines are still down in Punta Gorda and the diocesan office has little information about the condition of the Church of the Good Shepherd.

Heavy damage has also been reported in Fort Myers.

A National Weather Service advisory forecasts that Charley is moving toward the north-northeast with a gradual turn toward the northeast expected on Sunday. A tropical storm warning remains in effect from Cape Lookout, North Carolina, northward to the Merrimack River, Massachusetts.

Track the storm on the National Hurricane Center website at: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov.

Get the latest information from the Diocese of Southwest Florida at: http://www.dioceseswfla.org.

Article from: ENS