All seasons · Atlantic
2004 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2004 Atlantic season has 16 storms in the best-track record; 15 reached tropical-storm strength and 9 became hurricanes, 6 of them major. Its accumulated cyclone energy of 224.7 is the seventh-highest of the 175 seasons in the Atlantic record since 1851. For major hurricanes it is tied for the third-busiest season. Ivan was the strongest, peaking at 165 mph as a Category 5 hurricane. Landfall records exist for 8 of its storms, in Alabama, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Florida, Guadeloupe, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Puerto Rico, South Carolina and the Bahamas. The first record is dated July 31, the last December 3.
Storm by storm
More storms formed in August than in any other month of 2004: 7 of 16. Ivan both lasted longest, 21.5 days as a tropical or subtropical system, and contributed the most energy, 31% of the season's ACE. Strongest landfall of each storm: Bonnie reached Florida as a tropical storm on August 12; Charley reached Florida as a Category 4 hurricane on August 13; Frances reached the Bahamas as a Category 3 hurricane on September 2; Gaston reached South Carolina as a Category 1 hurricane on August 29; Hermine reached Massachusetts as a tropical storm on August 31; Ivan reached Alabama as a Category 3 hurricane on September 16; Jeanne reached Florida as a Category 3 hurricane on September 26; Matthew reached Louisiana as a tropical storm on October 10.
| Storm | Dates | Peak | Strength | Lowest | Landfalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex | Jul 31 – Aug 6 | 120 mph | Category 3 | 957 mb | – |
| Bonnie | Aug 3–13 | 65 mph | Tropical storm | 1001 mb | Florida |
| Charley | Aug 9–14 | 150 mph | Category 4 | 941 mb | Cuba, Florida, South Carolina |
| Danielle | Aug 13–21 | 110 mph | Category 2 | 964 mb | – |
| Earl | Aug 13–15 | 50 mph | Tropical storm | 1009 mb | – |
| Frances | Aug 25 – Sep 8 | 145 mph | Category 4 | 935 mb | Bahamas, Florida |
| Gaston | Aug 27 – Sep 1 | 75 mph | Category 1 | 985 mb | South Carolina |
| Hermine | Aug 27–31 | 60 mph | Tropical storm | 1002 mb | Massachusetts |
| Ivan | Sep 2–24 | 165 mph | Category 5 | 910 mb | Alabama, Louisiana |
| Storm 10 of 2004 | Sep 7–9 | 35 mph | Depression | 1009 mb | – |
| Jeanne | Sep 13–28 | 120 mph | Category 3 | 950 mb | Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Florida |
| Karl | Sep 16–24 | 145 mph | Category 4 | 938 mb | – |
| Lisa | Sep 19 – Oct 3 | 75 mph | Category 1 | 987 mb | – |
| Matthew | Oct 8–10 | 45 mph | Tropical storm | 997 mb | Louisiana |
| Nicole | Oct 10–11 | 50 mph | Tropical storm | 986 mb | – |
| Otto | Nov 29 – Dec 3 | 50 mph | Tropical storm | 995 mb | – |
Against other Atlantic seasons
Accumulated cyclone energy of every season; the red bar is 2004.