Hurricane Dennis (2005)

Basin

North Atlantic

Dates

July 4, 2005 to July 18, 2005

Peak strength

Category 4, 130 kt (150 mph)

Lowest pressure

930 mb (27.46 inHg)

Landfall

Yes

Accumulated cyclone energy

18.8

Tropical-storm-force wind reached

200 nmi (370 km, 230 mi) from the center at its widest

Hurricane-force wind reached

55 nmi (102 km, 63 mi) from the center at its widest

Eyewall radius at its peak

10 nmi (19 km, 12 mi)

Overall size

250 nmi (463 km, 288 mi) to the outermost closed isobar

Peak gust in the best track

155 kt (178 mph)

Fastest the center moved

20 kt (23 mph)

Identifier

AL042005

Radar at KMOB as it neared land, Jul 10, 19:30 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

5 (5 direct, 0 indirect)

Injuries

3

Property damage

$1.7 billion

Crop damage

$2.5 million

Events recorded

439 in 55 reports from 9 states and marine areas

State by state

What was recorded

177 hurricane (typhoon), 61 flash flood, 56 strong wind, 48 flood, 39 tropical storm, 23 thunderstorm wind, 11 storm surge/tide, 11 tornado, 6 heavy rain, 3 lightning, 2 hail, 1 rip current, 1 waterspout.

11 tornadoes and 1 waterspout recorded in the United States, strongest first.

The Weather Prediction Center attributes 2,712 rain gauge totals over the contiguous United States to this storm. The wettest reached 12.80 inches (325 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.

A National Weather Service damage survey team determined that an F0 tornado touched down approximately two miles southeast of Fayetteville near Hilo Road and traveled on the ground approximately one mile to the north, terminating near Jeff Davis in southeast Fayetteville. Hundreds of trees were blown down, twisted, and uprooted along the path of the tornado, many causing damage to dozens of homes and vehicles. Trees fell through the roof of several homes. A couple of businesses in southeast Fayetteville reported extensive damage, with the roof blown off one building on Highway 85 Parkway. The tornado combined with other thunderstorm wind events in the county during the evening resulted in up to 50 percent of the county being without power for several hours during the evening. The tornado path length was determined to be one mile and the path width one-quarter mile.

Fayette, Georgia · Tornado · Jul 7, 01:10 UTC

Hurricane Dennis passed within 75 miles southwest of Key West as a category 2 hurricane. Over the Monroe County Lower Keys, maximum winds were sustained at 53 knots (61 mph) with gusts to 64 knots (74 mph) at Key West and 51 knots (59 mph) gusting to 68 knots (78 mph) at Sand Key. Unofficial wind gusts to 93 knots (107 mph) were reported at Cudjoe Key. Maximum storm tides were estimated to 4.5 feet above mean sea level on the Atlantic shore of Key West near the International Airport. One fatality occurred aboard a vessel moored at Stock Island due to drowning. No injuries were reported. Property damage estimated at $6.8M due to wind damage mainly to roofing, electrical equipment, landscaping and mobile homes, with estimated $100K due to combined wind and rain damages to the Key West Airport. Minimum pressure reported was 998.8 mb at Sand Key.

Monroe/Middle Keys, Florida · Hurricane (Typhoon) · Jul 9, 01:00 UTC

Hurricane Dennis passed within 75 miles southwest of Key West as a category 2 hurricane. In the Monroe County Middle Keys, maximum rainfall was 2.00 inches at Curry Hammock State Park, east of Marathon. Maximum winds were 64 knots (74 mph) gusting to 76 knots (87 mph) at Sombrero Key Light. Maximum storm tides were estimated at 2 to 3 feet above mean sea level, producing minor flooding under elevated homes at Marathon. Minimum pressure reported was 1005.5 mb at Sombrero Key Light. No fatalities or injuries were reported. Damage was estimated at $250K from wind damage to commercial signs, landscaping and electrical equipment.

Monroe/Lower Keys, Florida · Hurricane (Typhoon) · Jul 9, 01:00 UTC

A trained spotter reported a waterspout estimated at 11 miles north northwest of Dunedin as a band from Hurricane Dennis rotated into the Gulf of Mexico.

Englewood To Tarpon Springs Fl Out 20nm, Gulf of Mexico · Waterspout · Jul 9, 16:18 UTC

High winds from the eyewall of Hurricane Dennis blew down several trees in the south part of the county. Wind gust of 70-80 mph were estimated across the south part of the county as Dennis weakened rapidly as it moved north. Several of the trees fell on structures and damaged them. The center of Dennis moved across the southwest part of the county. The dollar estimates from the damage for this will be under the main Dennis summary in this publication.

Monroe, Alabama · Hurricane (Typhoon) · Jul 10, 22:45 UTC

High winds from the eyewall of Hurricane Dennis blew down several trees in the northeast part of the county. Wind gust of 70-80 mph were estimated across the northeast part of the county as Dennis weakened rapidly as it moved north. Several of the trees fell on structures and damaged them. The dollar estimates from the damage for this will be under the main Dennis summary in this publication.

Upper Baldwin, Alabama · Hurricane (Typhoon) · Jul 10, 22:45 UTC

A National Weather Service river gage on Line Creek along the eastern border of the county with Fayette county reported that the creek had risen above its flood stage of 9.0 feet at 625 am EDT and crested later in the evening at 9 pm EDT near record flood stage of 16.8 feet. This crest was only surpassed by the all time record stage of 23.6 feet recorded during Tropical Storm Alberto on July 5, 1994. Several mobile homes at the South Oaks Community near Interstate-85 had to be evacuated from flood waters, some by boat. A dam also broke on Merimac Lake on Pylant Street in Senoia, washing out a road. Several paved roads in the southeast section of the county and one in the northeast section, namely Palmetto-Tyrone Road were flooded with culvert and bridge damage. Several home basements were also flooded, mainly in the eastern portion of the county.

Coweta, Georgia · Flash Flood · Jul 11, 09:00 UTC

Roads were barricaded due to high water at several locations throughout the city. A widely publicized photo appeared in the Indianapolis Star the next day of several cars stuck in five feet of water in the Lafayette Square Mall parking lot. Heavy rain of 2 to possibly more than 4 inches was produced by nearly stationary thunderstorms which formed in the very moist airmass left behind by the remnants of Hurricane Dennis. Other parking lots and viaducts were flooded, and several minor traffic accidents were attributed to the heavy rainfall. 1,600 electricity customers throughout the city lost power at least briefly due in part to the flooding and the accidents.

Marion, Indiana · Flash Flood · Jul 17, 00:15 UTC

• Tropical Storm ArleneNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 1 death · $12 millionTropical Storm60 kt · 989 mb
• Tropical Storm BretNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 1 deathTropical Storm35 kt · 1002 mb
• Hurricane CindyNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 1 death · $320 millionCat 165 kt · 991 mb
• Hurricane EmilyNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 6 deathsCat 5140 kt · 929 mb
• Tropical Storm FranklinNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm60 kt · 997 mb
• Tropical Storm GertNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm40 kt · 1005 mb
• Tropical Storm HarveyNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm55 kt · 994 mb
• Hurricane IreneNorth Atlantic · 2005Cat 290 kt · 970 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Depression30 kt · 1008 mb
• Tropical Storm JoseNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 6 deathsTropical Storm50 kt · 998 mb
• Hurricane KatrinaNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 520 deaths · $125 billionCat 5150 kt · 902 mb
• Tropical Storm LeeNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm35 kt · 1006 mb
• Hurricane MariaNorth Atlantic · 2005Cat 3100 kt · 962 mb
• Hurricane NateNorth Atlantic · 2005Cat 180 kt · 979 mb
• Hurricane OpheliaNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 1 death · $70 millionCat 175 kt · 976 mb
• Hurricane PhilippeNorth Atlantic · 2005Cat 170 kt · 985 mb
• Hurricane RitaNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 7 deaths · $12 billionCat 5155 kt · 895 mb
• Unnamed tropical depressionNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Depression30 kt · 1006 mb
• Hurricane StanNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 80 deathsCat 170 kt · 977 mb
• Unnamed tropical stormNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm45 kt · 997 mb
• Tropical Storm TammyNorth Atlantic · 2005 · $25 millionTropical Storm45 kt · 1001 mb
• Unnamed tropical stormNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm40 kt · 1005 mb
• Hurricane VinceNorth Atlantic · 2005Cat 165 kt · 988 mb
• Hurricane WilmaNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 23 deaths · $21 billionCat 5160 kt · 882 mb
• Tropical Storm AlphaNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 28 deathsTropical Storm45 kt · 998 mb
• Hurricane BetaNorth Atlantic · 2005Cat 3100 kt · 962 mb
• Tropical Storm GammaNorth Atlantic · 2005 · 37 deathsTropical Storm45 kt · 1002 mb
• Tropical Storm DeltaNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm60 kt · 980 mb
• Hurricane EpsilonNorth Atlantic · 2005Cat 175 kt · 981 mb
• Tropical Storm ZetaNorth Atlantic · 2005Tropical Storm55 kt · 994 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: Hurricane Dennis