‘It looks like a bomb zone, everything’s gone’

AS the remnants of Hurricane Charley disintegrated off the New England coast yesterday, Florida residents began the massive task of cleaning up.

State officials say that the storm estimated caused damages as high as €9 billion for insured homes alone.

President George W Bush flew over the most heavily damaged areas in a Marine helicopter yesterday before landing in this retirement haven of 15,000 people, which was devastated by Charley. The storm killed at least 16 people in Florida - including a man who was crushed outside his home when a banyan tree fell on him - and left thousands temporarily homeless.