…Businesses Torn Apart…

0

Every building on the Punta Gorda (Charlotte County) airport was damaged, Bertorelli said. “A large steel hangar south of the terminal area collapsed entirely … Aircraft of various sizes were scattered across the airport’s broad terminal ramp area, and at least four had been blown into the terminal walls.” Several rows of T-hangars were demolished, taking airplanes, cars and even a boat or two with them. At Eastern Avionics, a major avionics dealer, the roof of the sales office was damaged. Aircraft Depot, a local repair shop, lost both doors of its hangar and the aircraft inside were piled in a twisted heap. Power lines were down everywhere, and officials didn’t know how long it would take to restore electricity. The airport was open Saturday for relief flights, primarily as a staging area for a fleet of helicopters being used for damage survey and patrol work. The airport was also being used by a large number of tree-clearing and utility crews. USA Today reported that at the Port Charlotte airport, small planes were stacked and snapped apart “like toys cast off by an angry child.”

LEAVE A REPLY