Hurricanes - 2004 Atlantic Hurricane Season

The 2004 hurricane season brought 4 hurricanes that made landfall in Florida. The storms, Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne, all had at least 115 mph sustained winds at the time of landfall. Jeanne and Frances made landfall in almost the exact same location within 3 weeks of each other. These combine storms created damage and destruction through Florida which will be remembered for a long time in the future.

Frances was directly responsible for 7 deaths – 5 in Florida, 1 in the Bahamas, and 1 in Ohio, and indirectly responsible for 42 deaths – 32 in Florida, 8 in Georgia, 1 in the Bahamas, and 1 in Ohio.

Frances caused widespread heavy rains and associated freshwater flooding over much of the eastern United States.

A total of 101 tornadoes were reported in association with Frances – 23 in Florida, 7 in Georgia, 45 in South Carolina, 11 in North Carolina, and 15 in Virginia. Many of the tornadoes occurred in an outbreak over North and South Carolina on September 7th.

The American Insurances Service Group estimated the insured property damage caused by Frances at $4.43 billion in the United States, with $4.11 billion occurring in Florida. Based on a doubling of this figure to account for uninsured property damage, the total United States damage estimated for Frances was $8.86 billion.

Additionally, space and military facilities in the Cape Canaveral area reported over $100 million dollars in property damage. Therefore, a more accurate estimate of the total property damage from Frances was over $9 billion, which in terms of unadjusted damage makes Frances the fourth most costly hurricane in United States history behind Andrew of 1992, and Charley and Ivan of 2004.

Jeanne hit the northern Bahamas and then the central Florida east coast as a category three hurricane. While Jeanne was dumping rain over the Caribbean countries prior to landfall in Florida, Ivan moved over the Gulf of Mexico and inland across the southeastern United States. Widespread rainfall of up to 8 inches accompanied Hurricane Jeanne as it moved across eastern, central and northern Florida. A radar-estimated rainfall was approximately 11 inches over extreme northeast Florida. Duval and Nassau counties received a majority of this rain.

According to Reuters News, Haiti’s death toll was more than 3,000, including nearly 2,900 in the mud-crusted coastal city of Gonaives. One direct death was reported from Puerto Rico, three direct deaths were reported in Florida, and one direct death was reported from South Carolina.

The American Insurance Services Group estimated the insured property damages cause by Hurricane Jeanne at $3.44 billion. Based on a doubling of this figure to account for uninsured property damage, the total United States damages estimated for Jeanne was approximately $6.88 billion.

The storms for the 2004 season were as follows:

Hurricane Alex
Tropical Storm Bonnie
Hurricane Charley
Hurricane Danielle
Tropical Storm Earl
Hurricane Frances
Hurricane Gaston*
Tropical Storm Hermine
Hurricane Ivan
Tropical Depression Ten
Hurricane Jeanne
Hurricane Karl
Hurricane Lisa
Tropical Storm Matthew
Subtropical Storm Nicole
Tropical Storm Otto

*Gaston was redesignated as a hurricane in a post-storm analysis.

** Tropical Depressions listed above are those that did not reach tropical storm strength.