A storm of help follows Charley

Relying on a combination of grit and gratitude, Floridians are fighting to reclaim their lives in the aftermath of hurricane Charley.

They are doing it with the help of an array of local, state, and federal officials who continue to arrive by the hundreds to assist in the relief effort. The Red Cross and other volunteer groups are also fanning out across the stricken area. In addition, scores of ordinary Florida residents are acting on their own, opening their homes, volunteering, or donating much-needed supplies. "It is totally amazing, the outpouring of compassion. It is overwhelming," says Ken Sayers, standing in front of his partially destroyed mobile home just off Route 17 on the road from Punta Gorda to Arcadia.

"We've had total strangers stop and give us water and ice," says his wife, Kathy. One woman opened a suitcase to give her a pair of shorts.

As they speak, a white van pulls up and the occupant hands each of them a freshly grilled hamburger with potato chips.

Hurricane Charley has claimed 19 lives, made thousands homeless, and initially left more than a million without power. But rather than giving in to misery in the face of summer heat and occasional torrential downpours, most hurricane survivors seem to be pressing on.

Some have nailed blue plastic tarps where their roofs used to be. Many have purchased gas generators to keep their refrigerators running. And some retreat a few times a day to an air conditioned automobile for a moment of chilled splendor.

For many others, the picture is grim. Elderly residents are struggling in the extreme heat to perform even minor tasks. While others - who have lost their homes and jobs - are trying to cope with the prospect of making it through another day and confronting an uncertain future.

But the vast majority encountered during a reporting trip through the region are adopting a more optimistic view. Many residents and relief workers say they are struck by the heightened sense of community that has emerged since the storm ripped through this section of western and central Florida on Friday.

"They just dig deep and give as much as they can," says Lou Brooks, an ambulance driver who came to Arcadia with a contingent from the Hendry County Fire Department.

The Rev. Greg Fry of St. Edmund's Episcopal Church says many storm victims are still numb from their frightening encounter with Charley. "I don't think the community has let the full reality set in," he says. "That will come in a week or two."

The hurricane ripped a portion of the roof off the historic Episcopal church, forcing Mr. Fry's congregation to use the adjacent original church last Sunday. The older church was built in 1893 and survived the storm with no significant damage. Shortly after the service ended, volunteers delivered 20 SUV loads of food, filling the original church hall well beyond anyone's expectation. St. Edmund's has been distributing it to neighbors ever since.

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