The death toll for the fiercest storm to hit Florida in 12 years climbed to 17 last night, although it appears the final total would not be as high as feared.
Relief supplies poured into southwest Florida after Hurricane Charley's devastating rampage, which ripped apart thousands of mobile homes and damaged tens of thousands of buildings after it hit the area on Friday.
More than 2,000 people remain in shelters, according to Florida emergency officials, and many more had sought refuge with relatives, friends or in hotels.
Some 890,000 people in the state were without power, said Florida Secretary for Community Affairs Mr Thaddeus Cohen.
Since shortly after the storm hit like a 10-mile-wide tornado with 145 mph winds, supplies have been streaming into the worst-affected areas - the coastal cities of Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte.
Some 4,000 National Guard troops ferried supplies, erected tents for temporary shelter and patrolled against looting.