All the palms in these photos survived the very eye of Hurricane Charley. We took these photos in Punta Gorda, Florida, after the eye crossed with 145 mile per hour winds on August 13, 2004. This was one of the strongest hurricanes to enter the US mainland. Yet these palms were unharmed.
Around them, oaks, pine and banyan trees were stripped of leaves, had branches ripped away, or were split and uprooted. Buildings lost their roofs and windows, power poles were snapped, and loose sheet metal flew everywhere. Some buildings collapsed. These palms didn't even lose fronds. Even the palms at the water's edge, where there was nothing to buffer the full force of the wind are unscathed.
The palms are standing and intact. They are beautifully adapted to the tropics.
Some people may think "Hurricane Cutting" protects palms against hurricanes. And others may think it is what palms look like after a hurricane. Both ideas are wrong.
These photos prove why. First, these palms didn't need any trimming to survive this violent storm. And second, Hurricane Charley couldn't strip their fronds. It seems the name "Hurricane Cut" is an unfounded invention by someone who really didn't know anything about palm trees!
Around them, oaks, pine and banyan trees were stripped of leaves, had branches ripped away, or were split and uprooted. Buildings lost their roofs and windows, power poles were snapped, and loose sheet metal flew everywhere. Some buildings collapsed. These palms didn't even lose fronds. Even the palms at the water's edge, where there was nothing to buffer the full force of the wind are unscathed.
The palms are standing and intact. They are beautifully adapted to the tropics.
Some people may think "Hurricane Cutting" protects palms against hurricanes. And others may think it is what palms look like after a hurricane. Both ideas are wrong.
These photos prove why. First, these palms didn't need any trimming to survive this violent storm. And second, Hurricane Charley couldn't strip their fronds. It seems the name "Hurricane Cut" is an unfounded invention by someone who really didn't know anything about palm trees!
CABBAGE PALMS ARE ALMOST HURRICANE-PROOF
These palms survived Hurricane Charley
These palms survived Hurricane Charley
