Any new numbers of the deaths in hurricane

[shraby]

Charley?

[jus_the_facts]

1. heard it went up to 20 yesterday....

....but also have heard they'd release the numbers when they got good and ready too....which I thought sounded rather odd and suspect that the number will be a lot higher. :( :shrug:

[DeadHead67]

2. I read a post last night that claimed it was more like 4,000 !!!

But the resource was questionable.

[jus_the_facts]

3. Whoa....that does sound quite high....

.....didn't see that thread....but the way the guy was giving his press release that I saw...sounded arrogant but quite scared when asked about the number of deaths....makes one wonder just what's really goin' on down there. :scared:

[Dawgs]

4. Not 4,000, but much higher than 20....

It's more like several hundred. My cousin works for the Florida disaster department and has said that the numbers are in the hundreds, but they can't release total numbers until all of the relatives are contacted.

[faithnotgreed]

5. hi dawgs. welcome to du (sorry your 1st post is about another

tragedy) but it sounds like you have a good source of accurate information, which we strive for here...

thanks for posting and look forward to hearing from you

[jus_the_facts]

6. Welcome to DU Dawgs.....

....and thanks for the info...and much appreciation to your cousin as well for his service in this tragedy. :hi:

[newyawker99]

8. Hi Dawgs!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[beyurslf]

7. Why are we not being told about this? What is to gain by keeping the

number artificially low?

[Junkdrawer]

9. I'm guessing it's a "feel good" thing...

Jeb did a great job...lots of Federal Aid pouring in...very little death...National Guard everywhere for help.

From what I'm hearing from DUers on the ground, that's completely false on all counts. But we dare not say anything - can't play politics here.

[Demonaut]

10. or the total is only what has been officially listed

the media would've listed more if they had half the chance , they revel in misery

[Junkdrawer]

11. Well, let's look at that trailer park in Punta Gorda

Official obits show 2 deaths:

http://www.sun-herald.com/NewsArchive2/081804/tp26ch26.htm?date=081804&story=tp26ch26.htm

While numerous reports have deputies guarding "stacks of bodies":

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,128885,00.html

And this report has 60 dead:

http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=14532339&method=full&siteid=106694&headline=200-feared-dead-as-all-hell-breaks-loose-name_page.html

[Junkdrawer]

12. And then there's "Officials reluctant to release death toll"

Officials reluctant to release death toll (Hurricane Charley)


CHARLOTTE COUNTY - Two refrigerated trucks sat in the wind-torn parking lot of the Best Western Water Front Inn off the tranquil waters of Charlotte Harbor, serving as a temporary morgue for the casualties of Hurricane Charley.

Four people may have been killed by the storm in Charlotte County, some reports indicate, and Charley led to at least 16 deaths statewide during its forceful push Friday through Florida.

With ongoing search and rescue efforts stretching into the evening hours Sunday, Charlotte County emergency officials declined to confirm the county's fatalities.

"We've never dealt with a mass casualty event, and we're not yet prepared to (verify) or acknowledge the number of fatalities," said Wayne Sallade, director of Charlotte County's emergency management. "Yes, there are fatalities. Yes, there are people in those refrigerated trucks at the temporary morgue, but we're not prepared to say how many. At this point, I'm not sure that I have the accurate number.

...

http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/local/9411262.htm