President George W. Bush was set on Sunday to tour the wreckage from the hurricane that killed at least 13 people and sent thousands fleeing to shelters in Florida, a state critical to his reelection. After flying into Fort Myers, Florida, Bush was to board a helicopter for an aerial tour of the devastation and would be meeting with officials from hard-hit Charlotte County. He also planned to go to the west coast community of Punta Gorda, a site of widespread destruction. Bush has already issued a disaster declaration for the area, freeing up federal emergency funds for the state where his brother, Jeb Bush, is the governor. Hurricane Charley, a powerful category 4 storm which bore down on Florida on Friday with 145 mph (233 kph) winds, took many people in the southwestern part of the state by surprise because of its intensity and its path of movement.
