Floridians 'running out of time'
 

hope everyone makes it before the Hurricane Charlie.

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Florida emergency officials warned southwest Florida residents on Friday that they were running out of time to flee to higher ground ahead of powerful Hurricane Charlie.

"If you are in an area that has been ordered to evacuate on southwest Florida coast -- Pinellas and Hillsborough counties -- you have minutes -- to less than the next hour or so -- to move to high ground," said Florida's emergency management director, Craig Fugate, at a news conference Friday. "You have to move now. You cannot delay. Your options are running out."

Friday, August 13, 2004 Posted: 12:49 PM EDT (1649 GMT)

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WEATHER/08/13/storms/index.html

lastest update, 01:24 p.m. EDT (17:24 GMT) August 13, 2004

Charley has been upgraded to a Category 3 hurricane, with sustained winds of up to 125 mph