Hurricane Jeanne followed the nearly the same path across Florida as Hurricane Frances three weeks earlier and was the unprecedented fourth hurricane to damage Florida during the 2004 hurricane season. The hurricane moved ashore along the east coast of Florida near Stuart late on September 25th with an eye 30 to 40 miles across.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS TBW wrote it up.
Hurricane Jeanne followed the nearly the same path across Florida as Hurricane Frances three weeks earlier and was the unprecedented fourth hurricane to damage Florida during the 2004 hurricane season. The hurricane moved ashore along the east coast of Florida near Stuart late on September 25th with an eye 30 to 40 miles across. Jeanne took a course north of Lake Okeechobee and decreased to a tropical storm in eastern Polk County around 9 AM EDT on the 26th. The center of Jeanne curved north of Tampa Bay during the afternoon and travelled north along the coastal counties before exiting north through Levy County around 10 PM. In Highlands County there were 140 homes destroyed and 2,000 homes with major damage. Emergency Management estimated the total damage to be $452 million. A peak wind of 82 knots (94 MPH) was recorded in Sebring at 3 AM EST on 09/26/2004. In Polk County a peak wind gust of 67 knots (77 MPH) was recorded in both Frostproof and Bartow between 5-6 AM EST on 09/26/2004. In Hardee and Sumter Counties the damage was limited to trees falling on homes, vehicles, and power lines. The damage total was estimated by doubling the insured losses unless otherwise noted. The doubling accounted for uninsured losses and damge to the public infrastructure. Flood damage was included within these totals because it was not possible to extract the flood damage information from the available data.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Tampa Bay, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 25, 3:38 PM EST, 2 hours 22 minutes earlier.
WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 438 PM EDT SAT SEP 25 2004 AFTER COORD WITH SPC WILL BE UPDATING THE ZONES SHORTLY TO REFLECT NEWLY ISSUED TORNADO WATCH BOX 838 WHICH COVERS SUMTER...POLK... HARDEE...DESOTO...AND HIGHLANDS COUNTIES UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT. WATCH/WARNING/ADVISORY SECTION BELOW HAS BEEN UPDATED TO REFLECT THIS WATCH. .PREV DISCUSSION... 226 PM EDT SAT SEP 25 2004 .SHORT TERM (TONIGHT - MON)...DANGEROUS HURRICANE JEANNE CONTINUES TO BEAR DOWN ON THE FLORIDA EAST COAST EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...WITH THE LATEST TPC TRACK TAKING JEANNE ONSHORE ALONG THE FL EAST COAST LATE TONIGHT...THEN MOVING IT NORTHWESTWARD THROUGH THE CENTRAL FLORIDA PENINSULA OVERNIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. BASED ON THIS TRACK THE WEATHER WILL DETERIORATE RAPIDLY OVER THE FORECAST AREA TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY AS SPIRAL BANDS AND SQUALLS MOVE INTO THE REGION WITH TROPICAL STORM OR NEAR HURRICANE CONDITIONS LIKELY TO DEVELOP THROUGH THE PERIOD. IN ADDITION TO THE WINDS AND HEAVY RAINS...THERE WILL BE AN INCREASED THREAT OF ISOLATED SHORT LIVED TORNADOES AS JEANNE MOVES INLAND. FOR MORE SPECIFIC DETAILS ON JEANNE...PLEASE REFER TO OUR LOCAL HURRICANE STATEMENTS. ONCE JEANNE MOVES OUT OF THE AREA LATER SUNDAY...WINDS AND RAIN WILL SLOWLY BEGIN TO DECREASE...HOWEVER A TRAILING TROUGH AXIS AND RESIDUAL MOISTURE IN ITS WAKE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT SCATTERED POPS ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA INTO MONDAY. CLOUDS AND PRECIP WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL. .LONG TERM (MON NIGHT - SAT)...SFC FLOW WILL BE WRLY ON TUE AS JEANNE DEPARTS THE AREA TO THE NORTH. A WEAK UPPER LEVEL HIGH WILL BUILD IN BEHIND JEANNE AND BRIDGE ACROSS FL INTO THE GULF. AS MAY HAVE A LEFTOVER BAND ANYWHERE IN THE FA...WILL INCREASE POPS TO 30 PCT MON NIGHT INTO TUE. SFC GRADIENT WILL QUICKLY WEAKEN AS FLOW TURNS AROUND TO NERLY BY THU. NEXT PROBLEM ARISES WITH A WEAK TROPICAL WAVE FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS S FL FRI INTO SAT. THIS SYSTEM HAS DEVELOPED YET...BUT MODEL GUIDANCE HAS IT DROPPING S ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE RIDGE CURRENTLY MOVING JEANNE. CURRENT WIND FORECAST LOOKS GOOD...BUT WILL MAKE A SLIGHT TURN TO THE WINDS TO ERLY ON SAT. ALSO WILL NUDGE POPS DOWN TO 30 PCT AND RAISE MAX TEMPS A DEGREE THU AFTN TO ACCOUNT FOR POSSIBLE SUBSIDENCE AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM. OTHERWISE 40 POPS AND TEMPS LOOK GOOD FOR THE REST OF THE PERIOD. && .MARINE...WINDS AND SEAS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY AS DANGEROUS HURRICANE JEANNE MOVES ONSHORE ALONG THE FL EAST COAST LATER TONIGHT...THEN NWWD THROUGH CENTRAL FLORIDA ON SUNDAY. FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON HURRICANE JEANNE PLEASE REFER TO THE LOCAL HURRICANE STATEMENTS BEING ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE OR THE LATEST ADVISORIES FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER. ALL MARINERS ARE ADVISED TO REMAIN IN PORT UNTIL CONDITIONS BEGIN TO IMPROVE LATER ON MONDAY. ONCE JEANNE MOVES AWAY FROM THE REGION IMPROVING WEATHER WITH DECREASING WINDS AND SEAS CAN BE EXPECTED TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY AS WEAK HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN OVER THE WATERS. && .FIRE WEATHER...DISPERSIONS PICK UP THROUGH PERIOD WITH APPROACH OF JEANNE BUT WITH EXPECTED RAIN NO HIGHLIGHTS ARE EXPECTED. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... TPA 075 084 076 083/ 70 80 60 50 FMY 076 084 075 084/ 70 80 60 50 GIF 075 083 075 085/ 90 90 70 50 SRQ 076 084 076 082/ 70 80 60 50 BKV 075 083 075 084/ 70 80 70 60 && .TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM BONITA BEACH TO SUWANNEE RIVER OUT 60 NM INCLUDING LEVY...CITRUS...HERNANDO...PASCO...PINELLAS... HILLSBOROUGH...MANATEE...SARASOTA...CHARLOTTE...DESOTO...AND LEE COUNTIES. HURRICANE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM ENGLEWOOD NORTH TO THE SUWANNEE RIVER OUT 60 NM INCLUDING SARASOTA...MANATEE...HILLSBOROUGH...PINELLAS... PASCO...HERNANDO...CITRUS...AND LEVY COUNTIES. INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FOR LATE TONIGHT AND SUNDAY FOR SUMTER...POLK...HARDEE AND HIGHLANDS. FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT AND SUNDAY FOR ALL COUNTIES. TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR SUMTER...POLK...HARDEE...HIGHLANDS...AND DESOTO COUNTIES UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT. && SHORT TERM...MCMICHAEL LONG TERM....SHARP
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 419 AM EDT SAT SEP 25 2004 FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-251500- CHARLOTTE-CITRUS-DE SOTO-HARDEE-HERNANDO-HIGHLANDS-HILLSBOROUGH-LEE- LEVY-MANATEE-PASCO-PINELLAS-POLK-SARASOTA-SUMTER- 419 AM EDT SAT SEP 25 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY: ...SYNOPSIS... HURRICANE JEANNE WILL ENTER THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA TONIGHT...AND WILL SPREAD HEAVY RAIN OVER THE FLORIDA PENINSULA LATE TODAY INTO SUNDAY. SPIRAL BANDS WILL APPROACH WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA BY THIS EVENING...WITH PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN THROUGH SUNDAY. THE HEAVIEST RAIN WILL OCCUR ALONG THE TRACK THE CENTER OF JEANNE TAKES. ...RAINFALL... STORM RAINFALL TOTALS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE LIKELY ACROSS WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA...WITH 5 TO 10 INCHES POSSIBLE ALONG THE TRACK THE CENTER TAKES. ...RIVER STREAM AND CREEK IMPACTS... THE PEACE RIVER...WITHLACOOCHEE RIVER...AND CYPRESS CREEK ARE STILL ABOVE FLOOD STAGE DUE TO PREVIOUS HEAVY RAIN EVENTS. ALTHOUGH IT HAS BEEN RELATIVELY DRY THE PAST 10 TO 14 DAYS...THE GROUND REMAINS FAIRLY SATURATED. ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN FROM HURRICANE JEANNE MAY CAUSE MODERATE TO MAJOR FLOODING ONCE AGAIN ACROSS MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA. THIS WILL DEPEND GREATLY ON THE ACTUAL TRACK JEANNE TAKES OVER THE FLORIDA PENINSULA. RESIDENTS LIVING IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT PROPERTY. INCREASING WINDS ALONG THE COAST WILL INCREASE THE SURF AND THE CHANCE OF A RIP CURRENT TODAY. A RIP CURRENT IS A 10 TO 30 YARD WIDE CHANNEL OF WATER THAT CAN PULL EVEN A STRONG SWIMMER INTO DEEPER WATER. SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT. LARGER VESSELS MAY WANT TO POSTPONE TRIPS UNTIL CONDITIONS IMPROVE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY: JEANNE PULLS AWAY FROM THE AREA SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY LEAVING WEAK HIGH PRESSURE IN ITS WAKE. EXPECT MOSTLY DRY CONDITIONS TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. WINDS BECOME MORE EASTERLY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AND THIS WILL LEAD TO SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY. && FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION...CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TBW (LOWER CASE)
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 427 PM EDT SAT SEP 25 2004 FLZ043-052-056-057-061-252130- DE SOTO-HARDEE-HIGHLANDS-POLK-SUMTER- 427 PM EDT SAT SEP 25 2004 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 838 IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RUSKIN HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR SUMTER...POLK...HIGHLANDS...HARDEE AND DE SOTO COUNTIES. DANGEROUS HURRICANE JEANNE IS FORECASTED TO MOVE ONSHORE THE FLORIDA EAST COAST LATER TONIGHT...THEN MOVE NORTHWESTWARD ACROSS THE CENTRAL PENINSULA ON SUNDAY. AS JEANNE MOVES CLOSER TO THE PENINSULA TONIGHT THERE WILL BE AN INCREASING THREAT OF SHORT LIVED TORNADOES WITHIN THE SPIRAL BANDS. RESIDENTS OF WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA NEED TO STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR LATER UPDATES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. && FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TBW (LOWER CASE) JCM
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind, 2 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, September 2004
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5427718, 5427719, 5427720, 5427721.