Braced for a punch, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties received only a glancing blow from the powerful Category 4 storm that pummeled Charlotte Harbor with 145 mph winds.
County officials lifted evacuation orders in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando, Citrus and Manatee counties on Friday evening.
Power wasn't lost, little if any damage was reported and streets didn't flood.
"We were very, very, very lucky," said Charlie Paxton, meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
St. Petersburg and Tampa received less than an inch of rain, and winds topped out at about 30 mph, Paxton said.
Southeastern Hillsborough County received the worst of the local weather, with wind gusts up to 50 mph and 2 to 4 inches of rain.
"It wasn't enough to cause significant damage," Paxton said.
About 800,000 people in the Tampa Bay area were told to leave their homes. Some people drove east toward Lakeland and Orlando, only to find themselves in the path of the storm.
"I feel like the biggest fool," said Robert Angel of Tarpon Springs, who sought safety in a Lakeland motel. "I spent hundreds of dollars to be in the center of a hurricane. Our home is safe, but now I'm in danger."
Officials were hoping that residents would not see their effort to flee as wasted, saying Tampa Bay could have just as easily been hit.
"If it were in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area it would have been humongous. You're talking 2-million people," said Mike Trimpert, a spokesman for the Hillsborough County emergency management center. "All they have to do is look at the videos of what happened."
At daybreak, Pinellas was ground zero for the approaching storm. The county ordered mandatory evacuations for 380,000 people, the largest in county history. More than 7,000 sought protection in school gymnasiums and classrooms.
"I'm really scared," said 57-year-old Jean Barrow, who slept on a cafeteria bench at St. Petersburg High School Thursday night.
Pinellas deputies ordered a curfew from dusk to dawn, banning residents from all public streets, parks and highways. Deputies also released about 500 inmates at the county jail - about a sixth of the total population - because of flooding concerns. All were nonviolent offenders near the end of sentences for misdemeanors, authorities said.
Emergency workers don't know how many people actually evacuated, but said they were pleased by the response.
"What is most impressive and rewarding about this is the calm compliance of tens of thousands of people," said Clearwater police spokesman Wayne Shelor. "Clearwater Beach was not just emptied out, it was completely deserted."
Clearwater police had more than 100 officers on duty Friday, one of the highest deployments in city history. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office had nearly 300 deputies patrolling the streets.
Pinellas lifted its mandatory evacuation shortly after 6 p.m., but kept a voluntary evacuation in effect until 7 a.m. this morning. Worried residents were invited to stay, particularly 524 special needs patients, some of whom didn't have immediate transportation home. The county curfew was rescinded.
In Hillsborough County, emergency officials ordered the mandatory evacuation of 280,000 residents, from Town 'N Country to southern Hillsborough. Bridges were clogged as residents fled to higher ground.
"We keep getting turned away," said Melissa Heitz, a 35-year-old mother of two who spent the morning searching for hotel rooms. "Everyone says they're packed. I'm a Tampa native, and I've never seen anything like it."
While the county had room for 50,000, its 39 shelters peaked at about 7,400 people on Friday afternoon.
Hillsborough lifted its mandatory evacuation about 9:30 p.m., but planned to keep shelters open if people wanted to stay. Many had already emptied under clear skies. At 6 p.m., 543 people crowded Sickles High School on Gunn Highway, but only 20 remained by 7:30 p.m.
Still, residents jammed shelters on the county's southern end, uncertain about Hurricane Charley's path.
Tampa International Airport hoped to resume operations slowly this morning. The four airsides, locked since Thursday, must be checked by police officers and dogs for security reasons. Expected 45 mph winds should not be a problem for flights, according to airport officials.
Transportation Security Administration screeners will report for duty at 4:30 a.m. to begin restarting their equipment and should be ready for the first passengers and baggage around 9 a.m. Parking garages should open at 6 a.m. if all goes well.
Shortly after 10 a.m., Southwest, Continental and United Airlines flights will arrive followed by an American Airlines flight around 11. Other airlines are still considering their options.
"I can't stress strongly enough that people need to call their airlines before they come to the airport," said Louis Miller, executive director of the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority. "It will take a while to build up to a normal schedule again."
For many, Charley was little more than an anguishing, but ultimately helpful, drill.
"I think this was enough of a threat," said Hillsborough County Administrator Pat Bean, "that we probably got the best test we're ever going to get."
Asked if he felt all the precautions were a waste, St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker said absolutely not.
"It would be a mistake to take that perspective," he said. "All you have to do is look at Fort Myers. That very easily could have been us. You have to prepare for the worst."
Staff writers Michael Sandler, Jean Heller, Bill Varian, Chris Tisch, Bridget Hall Grumet, Michael Van Sickler, Carrie Johnson and Duane Bourne contributed to this report.
