Tropical Storm Bonnie (2004)

Basin

North Atlantic

Dates

August 3, 2004 to August 14, 2004

Peak strength

Tropical Storm, 55 kt (63 mph)

Lowest pressure

1001 mb (29.56 inHg)

Landfall

Yes

Accumulated cyclone energy

2.6

Tropical-storm-force wind reached

60 nmi (111 km, 69 mi) from the center at its widest

Overall size

75 nmi (139 km, 86 mi) to the outermost closed isobar

Peak gust in the best track

65 kt (75 mph)

Fastest the center moved

29 kt (33 mph)

Identifier

AL022004

Radar at KTLH as it neared land, Aug 12, 14:00 UTC

The sources count different things and are not added together.

Landfall points the US agencies flagged in the best track. The nearest town is named from the site’s gazetteer, not from the report.

NOAA’s Storm Events database, the record National Weather Service offices compile months after a storm, as compiled March 2026.

Deaths

3 (3 direct, 0 indirect)

Injuries

29

Property damage

$1.4 million

Crop damage

none recorded

Events recorded

41 in 15 reports from 8 states and marine areas

State by state

What was recorded

20 tropical storm, 8 flood, 6 thunderstorm wind, 5 flash flood, 2 tornado.

2 tornadoes recorded in the United States, strongest first.

The Weather Prediction Center attributes 1,939 rain gauge totals over the contiguous United States to this storm. The wettest reached 6.07 inches (154 mm).

WPC’s storm rainfall file, 1900 to 2020, compiled by David Roth.

The strongest winds National Weather Service offices recorded with this storm. An estimated figure is a forecaster’s judgment from the damage, not an instrument reading.

From the Storm Events narratives, unedited.

Radar estimated around 4 inches of rain in just over an hour. This caused several roads to be closed including Highway 196, Live Oak Church Road, and Curtis Road.

Liberty, Georgia · Flash Flood · Aug 12, 23:50 UTC

Radar estimated around 4 inches of rain across parts of the county in around 1 hour. Flooding was reported in the Windsor Forest area and high water approached some homes.

Chatham, Georgia · Flash Flood · Aug 13, 00:30 UTC

A tornado moved through the Wild Dunes private community causing widespread damage. An estimated 250 trees were blown down, several of which fell on cars. Also, windows were blown out of cars. About25 homes received minor roof and siding damage and a half dozen homes received moderate damage. An estimated 300 pound swing set was thrown about 15 feet.

Charleston, South Carolina · Tornado · Aug 13, 03:55 UTC

The Beaver Kill at Cooks Falls just reached its 10 foot flood stage. The crest was at 10.01 feet at 1 AM EST. This flood was due to 2 to 4 inches of rain that fell across the basin during the day and evening of the 12th. The rain was along a stalled front aided by tropical moisture from the remnants of tropical storm Bonnie.

Delaware, New York · Flood · Aug 13, 05:45 UTC

Moisture associated with the remnants of Tropical Storm Bonnie brought heavy rains to the region. Storm total precipitation in the vicinity of Baxter State Park generally ranged from 3 to 6 inches...with localized 8 to 10 inch totals in orographically favored areas. Travel was restricted across southern portions of the park due to dangerous water crossings and flooded roads.

Northern Piscataquis, Maine · Flood · Aug 13, 16:00 UTC

Moisture associated with the remnants of Tropical Storm Bonnie brought heavy rains to the region. Storm total precipitation of 3 to 6 inches was common across the Saint John Valley...with locally higher totals. Potato fields along the Saint John River were flooded. Also...a mudslide near Saint Francis eroded a portion of Route 161...narrowing the road to one lane. Several culverts were also washed out in the Saint John Valley.

Northwest Aroostook, Maine · Flood · Aug 14, 03:00 UTC

• Hurricane AlexNorth Atlantic · 2004Cat 3105 kt · 957 mb
• Hurricane CharleyNorth Atlantic · 2004Cat 4130 kt · 941 mb
• Hurricane DanielleNorth Atlantic · 2004Cat 295 kt · 964 mb
• Tropical Storm EarlNorth Atlantic · 2004Tropical Storm45 kt · 1009 mb
• Hurricane FrancesNorth Atlantic · 2004Cat 4125 kt · 935 mb
• Hurricane GastonNorth Atlantic · 2004Cat 165 kt · 985 mb
• Tropical Storm HermineNorth Atlantic · 2004Tropical Storm50 kt · 1002 mb
• Hurricane IvanNorth Atlantic · 2004Cat 5145 kt · 910 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2004Tropical Depression30 kt · 1009 mb
• Hurricane JeanneNorth Atlantic · 2004Cat 3105 kt · 950 mb
• Hurricane KarlNorth Atlantic · 2004Cat 4125 kt · 938 mb
• Hurricane LisaNorth Atlantic · 2004Cat 165 kt · 987 mb
• Tropical Storm MatthewNorth Atlantic · 2004Tropical Storm40 kt · 997 mb
• Tropical Storm NicoleNorth Atlantic · 2004Tropical Storm45 kt · 986 mb
• Tropical Storm OttoNorth Atlantic · 2004Tropical Storm45 kt · 995 mb

A best track is the record a warning agency settles on after the storm, not what it said at the time: position, maximum sustained wind and central pressure every six hours, revised against every observation that came in later. Category is the Saffir-Simpson scale, which runs from Category 1 at 64 kt to Category 5 at 137 kt and reads wind only, so it says nothing about surge or rain. Accumulated cyclone energy adds up the square of the wind through the storm's life, so it counts strength and duration together.

Storm history from NOAA NCEI’s International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS), which merges the official best track of every warning agency. Live storms, cones, watches and warnings from the National Hurricane Center and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Archived radar from NOAA’s Level II archive.

• Tropical cyclone report, National Hurricane Center
• Every advisory and discussion NHC issued while it was live
• Wikipedia article: Tropical Storm Bonnie