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Overview
The 2004 hurricane season was unprecedented for the time. There were a total of five storms that would impact Florida in just six weeks. In fact, two of the four, Frances and Jeanne, made landfall just 2 miles apart with only three weeks between them. In total, nine tropical systems would go on to affect the U.S. that year. The costs from the hurricanes and tropical storms was estimated to be over $51 billion. At the time, this became the most costly hurricane season ever for the U.S., with the second most costly, at $35 billion, being 1992, the year that Hurricane Andrew impacted south Florida. |
2004 Hurricane Season: Statistics
The 2004 Atlantic hurricane season was among the most devastating on record. The year’s storms claimed over 3100 lives, the second largest toll in three decades; 60 of these occurred in the United States. The United States suffered a record $51 billion in property damage, enduring landfalls from five hurricanes (Charley, Frances, Gaston, Ivan, and Jeanne) and the eyewall passage of a sixth (Alex) that avoided landfall on the North Carolina Outer Banks by less than 10 miles. In addition, Bonnie, Hermine, and Matthew made landfall in the United States as tropical storms. Florida, the “Sunshine State,” became known as the Plywood State after being battered by Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne. The islands of the Caribbean were also hard hit. Charley struck Cuba as a major hurricane [maximum 1-min winds of greater than 96 kt (110 mph), corresponding to category 3 or higher on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale. Ivan was also a major hurricane in the Caribbean, causing extensive destruction on Grenada, Jamaica, and Grand Cayman, and Jeanne produced catastrophic flash floods in Haiti that killed thousands and left hundreds of thousands homeless.
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2004 Atlantic Hurricane Season Statistics
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No. |
Name |
Classa |
Datesb |
Maximum 1-min wind (kt) |
Minimum sea level pressure (mb) |
Direct deaths |
U.S Damage ($ million) |
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 |
Alex Bonnie Charley Danielle Earl Frances Gaston Hermine Ivan TD 10 Jeanne Karl Lisa Matthew Nicole Otto |
MH T MH H T MH H T MH TD MH MH H T SS T |
Jul 31-Aug 6 Aug 3-14 Aug 9-14 Aug 13-21 Aug 13-15 Aug 25-Sep 8 Aug 27-Sep 1 Aug 27-31 Sep 2-24 Sep 7-9 Sep 13-28 Sep 16-24 Sep 19-Oct 3 Oct 8-10 Oct 10-11 Nov 29-Dec 3 |
105 55 130 95 45 125 65 50 145 30 105 125 65 40 45 45 |
957 1001 941 964 1009 935 985 1002 910 1009 950 938 987 997 986 995 |
1 3 15 7 8 92 3000+ |
5 Minorc 15,113 9,507 130 18,820 7,660 Minorc |
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a TD = Tropical Depression, maximum sustained wind speed 33 kt (38 mph) or less; |
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Click on the image below to magnify and then click again to resize back to original |
2004 Tropical Atlantic Storm Tracks ![]() |
The complete NHC Annual Summary for the 2004 Atlantic Hurricane Season can be found here
and the Tropical Cyclone reports for each system are available here.
2004 Hurricane Season: Videos
2004 Hurricane Season: Tropical Storm Bonnie
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WPC Rainfall Analysis ![]() |
The NHC Tropical Cyclone Report on Tropical Storm Bonnie can be found here.
2004 Hurricane Season: Hurricane Charley
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FEMA Wind Gust Analysis ![]() |
Wind Analysis near Cayo Costa ![]() |
Wind Analysis near Punta Gorda ![]() |
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WPC Rainfall Analysis ![]() |
For more local details and photos visit our NWS Tampa Bay 2004 Hurricane Season Story Map.
The NHC Tropical Cyclone Report on Hurricane Charley can be found here.
2004 Hurricane Season: Hurricane Frances
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FEMA Wind Gust Analysis
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WPC Rainfall Analysis
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For more local details and photos visit our NWS Tampa Bay 2004 Hurricane Season Story Map.
The NHC Tropical Cyclone Report on Hurricane Frances can be found here.
2004 Hurricane Season: Hurricane Ivan
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FEMA Wind Gust Analysis
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WPC Rainfall Analysis
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The NHC Tropical Cyclone Report on Hurricane Ivan can be found here.
2004 Hurricane Season: Hurricane Jeanne
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FEMA Wind Gust Analysis
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WPC Rainfall Analysis
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For more local details and photos visit our NWS Tampa Bay 2004 Hurricane Season Story Map.
The NHC Tropical Cyclone Report on Hurricane Jeanne can be found here.
2004 Hurricane Season: Other Links