Hurricane/Cyclone/Typhoon Journal Entry

Atlantic Hurricane Season Finally Over (December 1, 2004)

The record-setting, disaster-filled 2004 Atlantic hurricane season is finally over. The season, which officially began on June 1, ended November 30. The season spawned fifteen big storms, nine of which grew to hurricane strength with winds of at least 74 miles per hour (118 kilometers/hour).

The season ended with a bang. Tropical Storm Otto formed on the very last day of the season about 800 miles (1,300 km) east of Bermuda, packing winds of 45 mph (72 km/h). Luckily, the storm didn't threaten any landmass. Tropical storms need ocean temperatures of at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit and are rarely seen in the Atlantic as late as December. Over the past 100 years, only 10 of them have churned in the Atlantic this late in the season.

This year's storms caused billions of dollars of damages and many deaths. Florida was slammed by a record four hurricanes over a six-week period, Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne. The hurricanes killed 117 people and left a trail of destruction across the state. More than 25,000 homes were destroyed.

The four hurricanes triggered hundreds of tornadoes and widespread floods across several southeastern states. A record 9.4 million people were evacuated along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the United States this year.

The Caribbean region was hit hard too. Grenada, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands all suffered huge losses from this year's storms. Ivan destroyed 90% of the buildings on Grenada. Floods from Jeanne killed about 3,000 people in Haiti.

Over the past decade, more tropical storms and hurricanes have roared out of the Atlantic than in any other 10-year period on record.