southeast of Havana, at latitude 20.4 north and longitude 81.5 west, the National Hurricane Center said. It was moving northwest at a brisk 17 mph(27 kph) and was expected to gradually turn toward the north-northwest. Charley's most likely track would take it close to Key West on Friday before hitting the U.S. mainland near Tampa and St. Petersburg. In the Cayman Islands, a small British colony and important offshore financial center with about 45,000 people, skies darkened and rain pounded down Thursday morning as Charley hit but authorities sounded the all-clear in the afternoon with no reports of damage or injuries. "It has been a close call and we are thankful that we have once again been spared," said Donovan Ebanks, who headed the operations of the National Hurricane Committee. In north Florida, Bonnie moved onshore near Apalachicola and steamed toward the northeast. At 2 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT) on Thursday, its center was about 30 miles (40 km) southeast of the state capital, Tallahassee, the National Hurricane Center said. It was charging east-northeast at 28 mph (45 kph). Bonnie's top winds had dropped to 40 mph (64 kph), and forecasters said up to 6 inches (15 cm) of rain, along with tornadoes, were possible along its path. On St. George Island, near Apalachicola, people walked the beach and swam in the high surf just before the storm arrived. Someone wrote "Go away, Bonnie," in the sand.
