Hard to believe it's been 15 years since Hurricane Charley hit SWFL. I remember vividly sitting in my living room, watching the endless radar loops, and thinking around 9:30 that the storm was not going to make it to Tampa; it had begun to turn. What had seemed like a neat day -- getting to watch a hurricane from a safe distance -- suddenly became very frightening. I had no shutters up, no real supplies laid in store. I hunkered down in an interior hallway with a battery-powered radio and my dog, and just hoped for the best. It was all I could do.

That was my first major hurricane, and boy did I learn a lot from the experience. I think only Irma was scarier.

Here's to all of us who rode out that storm, and another 15 years watching and learning from them.