LAKE WALES, Fla. — As they prepare their community ahead of Hurricane Dorian, the owners of a Lake Wales mobile home park shared their recollections of the storm that heavily damaged the property 15 years ago — Hurricanes Charley.

HURRICANE DORIAN COVERAGE:

In 2004, Hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Jeanne all ripped across Central Florida, leaving a trail of destruction and billions of dollars in damage.

The owners of Parakeet Mobile Home Park remember it all too well. It’s the reason they got a head start on preparing for Hurricane Dorian. 

“Oh don’t mention Charley," said co-owner Joe Kazimer. "I got pictures of the place after we was mandatory to leave here. We went to Spook Hill, of all names. We come back that morning — horrible. I got pictures all over the place, a lot of damage.”

Co-owner Lynn Henry said she had a stack of pictures, too. 

“Everything was torn apart. It just threw everything around," said Henry while showing pictures of the devastation. 

“Charley took down all of the big trees," she explained. "We think a small tornado may have gone down one street and took out a row of porches and front rooms.”

“We had aluminum everywhere, from the insulation and porches and everything like that,” she added.

Henry evacuated, but said some of the elderly residents decided to stay in the clubhouse. A poor choice, as it turned out.

“Windows blew out. Shingles came off," Henry said. "There was water coming in, people were huddled underneath tables."

She now has a sign up on the clubhouse door reminding residents the clubhouse is not a hurricane shelter. 

Cleanup, she said, was made possible by friends and complete strangers coming to their aid.

“A lot of people pitched in. There was always help. It just comes out of nowhere,” Henry said. 

Some residents of the mobile home park said they’re still waiting to see if it’ll come through there, like the others. Because she survived Hurricanes Charley and Jeanne, Henry said she feels better prepared.

But she’s still worried about Hurricane Dorian.

“I’m very concerned about this one. “I’m not so much worried about the rain as I am the wind,” Henry said.