Hurricane Jeanne was one of the deadliest Atlantic hurricanes on record, producing damaging floods in Haiti in September 2004 that killed 3,006 people. Jeane also moved through the Bahamas as a major hurricane, roughly three weeks after Hurricane Frances moved through the archipelago. The two hurricanes caused more than US$550 million in damage and economic losses in the Bahamas, about 10% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). On September 26, Jeanne made landfall in southeastern Florida with maximum sustained winds of 120 miles per hour (195 kilometres per hour). It was the last of four hurricanes to impact the state in the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season.
The tenth named storm, seventh hurricane, and fifth major hurricane of the season, Jeanne originated near the Lesser Antilles on September 13. During its formative stages, Jeanne dropped 12 inches (300 mm) of precipitation on Guadeloupe, damaging hundreds of buildings from floods. Landslides and flooding affected the Virgin Islands, and around 20 people on St. Thomas required rescue. On September 15, Jeanne struck Puerto Rico as a strong tropical storm, leading to seven deaths during storm preparations, the storm itself, or subsequent carbon monoxide poisoning. A day later, Jeanne attained hurricane status while moving ashore the Dominican Republic, where it killed 23 people and produced floods that displaced more than 37,000 people from their houses. Jeanne weakened while moving over Hispaniola, producing torrential rainfall over Haiti. In Haiti, the floods and landslides destroyed houses and crop fields across the region. Following a coup d'état in February 2004, the interim government of Haiti relied on security assistance from the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), as well as international aid to rebuild. Violence and attacks on nongovernment organizations disrupted later aid distribution.
After emerging back into the Atlantic Ocean, Jeanne executed a large clockwise loop, during which time it strengthened into a major hurricane. While at that intensity, Jeanne struck the Bahamas on September 25, hitting the Abaco Islands and Grand Bahama Island. In the Bahamas, Jeanne damaged or destroyed around 800 homes. Across Florida, the hurricane damaged or destroyed thousands of homes, most of which were previously damaged by hurricanes Frances and Charley. The collective impacts of the three hurricanes, in addition to Hurricane Ivan that struck Alabama, led to the largest relief operations in the history of both the American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Total damage from Jeanne in the continental United States was estimated at $7.5 billion. The hurricane also killed six people in Florida, two each in North and South Carolina, and one in Virginia. Although Jeanne weakened over the southeastern United States, it produced floods and an outbreak of 42 tornadoes. Jeanne transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on September 29 when the system was near Washington, D.C. After moving offshore, the circulation dissipated when it was absorbed by a cold front. Due to its effects, the name Jeanne was retired and will never again be used for an Atlantic hurricane.
Meteorological history
A tropical wave exited the west coast of Africa on September 7, accompanied by scattered convection, or thunderstorms. It continued westward across the Atlantic Ocean, steered by a ridge to the north. Further development was hampered by wind shear produced by Hurricane Ivan in the Caribbean Sea. On September 11, convection became slightly better organized as the wave approached the Lesser Antilles, with a broad circulation. Late on September 13, the system developed into Tropical Depression Eleven about 70 miles (110 kilometres) east-southeast of Guadeloupe. At 04:00 UTC on September 14, the depression crossed the island. Later that day, it strengthened into a tropical storm and was named Jeanne by the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Fueled by the warm waters of the Caribbean, the storm developed rainbands, well-defined outflow, and a tight inner-core. Continuing to the west-northwest, Jeanne hit Puerto Rico near Guayama at 16:00 UTC on September 15 with winds of 70 mph (110 km/h). As it moved ashore, Jeanne was in the process of developing an eye. While crossing the island, Jeanne maintained its eye feature, and it intensified further over the Mona Passage. At 11:00 UTC, Jeanne attained hurricane status as it struck the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic on September 16.
Jeanne quickly weakened as it moved along the northern coast of the Dominican Republic. Late on September 17, Jeanne emerged back into the Atlantic Ocean as a tropical depression. Around that time, the NHC noted the potential that Jeanne could strike the southeastern United States within five days, but there was uncertainty related to the remnants of Hurricane Ivan and a building ridge. Jeanne's original circulation dissipated as a new vorticity developed closer to the convection. It regained tropical storm status at 00:00 UTC on September 18. The storm moved northward through the Turks and Caicos Islands and slowly reorganized. Late on September 20, Jeanne re-attained hurricane status while passing northeast of the Bahamas. Around this time, it turned to the east and began executing a clockwise loop. A large eye developed, and the hurricane crossed over its former track on September 23. By this time, cooler waters from upwelling caused Jeanne to weaken briefly, followed by re-intensification. As late as September 24, the NHC anticipated that Jeanne would turn northwestward and move ashore northeastern Florida. However, the ridge to its north caused Jeanne to continue westward. As it moved toward warmer waters, Jeanne's central convection intensified as its outflow improved. At 12:00 UTC on September 25, Jeanne attained major hurricane status, or a Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Two hours later, it made landfall on Abaco Island in the Bahamas, before moving over Grand Bahama Island.
Late on September 25, Jeanne attained peak winds of 120 mph (195 km/h), before an eyewall replacement cycle halted further strengthening. At 04:00 UTC on September 26, Jeanne made landfall at peak intensity on the southern end of Hutchinson Island near Stuart, Florida. Its eye was 58 mi (93 km) in diameter, and the minimum barometric pressure at landfall was 950 millibars (28 inches of mercury). The hurricane moved ashore only 5 mi (8.0 km) away from where Hurricane Frances hit 21 days prior. Jeanne weakened while moving inland, quickly losing its eye. It fell to tropical storm status late on September 26 near the Tampa Bay area. After turning northward, Jeanne entered southern Georgia. It weakened into a tropical depression late on September 27. The ridge to its north moved off the coast as a weak cold front moved toward Jeanne. The interaction between nearby dry air and Jeanne's circulation produced conditions favorable for a tornado outbreak. After crossing into Virginia, Jeanne transitioned into an extratropical cyclone at 00:00 UTC on September 29 near Washington, D.C. Later that day, the remnants of Jeanne exited into the Atlantic Ocean and merged with a cold front.
Preparations
Caribbean
Upon Jeanne's formation, tropical storm watches and warnings were issued for islands across the northeastern Caribbean, including Anguilla, Saba, Sint Eustatius, the Dutch portion of St. Martin, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The NHC issued hurricane warnings for the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) and Puerto Rico, anticipating that Jeanne would become a hurricane before crossing the latter island. In Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, an elderly man fell from a roof to his death while installing storm shutters. Across Puerto Rico, all ports were closed, and most flights were canceled. The island's power grid was turned off to prevent damage. Government offices and courts were also closed. Governor Sila María Calderón forbade the sale of alcohol during the storm. Ferry service was temporarily suspended between the mainland and both Vieques and Culebra. The local National Weather Service (NWS) office issued flood warnings for every municipality in the territory. River flood warnings were issued for the Cibuco, Guanajibo, and La Plata rivers. Ultimately, 3,629 people in flood zones were forced to evacuate. USVI Governor Charles Wesley Turnbull issued a state of emergency and ordered the territory's schools to close. Airports in the USVI closed during the storm's passage.
Officials in the Dominican Republic issued hurricane warnings between Saona Island and Puerto Plata, covering much of the country's northeast coast. Across the country, 22,740 people were evacuated, more than half of whom stayed in one of 145 official shelters. Officials in the country advised residents to stay away from the coast and waterways. There were also tropical storm warnings along the northern coast of Haiti covering as far west as Môle-Saint-Nicolas. Haiti lacked systems for early warnings, leaving residents unprepared for Jeanne's floods.
Bahamas
While Jeanne was still in the Caribbean, the Bahamas issued hurricane watches and warnings for the southeastern and central portion of the archipelago, beginning late on September 15 and cancelled four days later. On September 23, when Jeanne again threatened the country, there were additional hurricane watches and warnings for the central to northwestern Bahamas. During Jeanne's second approach to the Bahamas, officials urged residents in low-lying homes to evacuate, while also setting up shelters on Abaco, Eleuthera, and Grand Bahama islands. About 2,500 people stayed at shelters during the hurricane. The international airport on Grand Bahama temporarily closed during the storm. Because Hurricane Frances struck only about three weeks prior, many houses were still patched with plastic sheeting on their roofs, and displaced residents were still living with neighbors or relatives. Several cruise ships were diverted away from the country.
United States
On September 24, the NHC first issued hurricane warnings for the eastern Florida coast from Florida City to St. Augustine, including Lake Okeechobee. Additional hurricane warnings were later added for Florida's west coast from Englewood to the mouth of the Suwannee River on the Florida Panhandle. Tropical storm warnings were also issued as far west as Destin, for southern Florida, and as far northeast as central Georgia at the mouth of the Altamaha River. Due to Jeanne's threat, Florida governor Jeb Bush issued a state of emergency.
On September 25, officials first issued voluntary evacuations for Palm Beach, Martin, and St. Lucie counties. On the same day, the St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant started to shut down. On September 26, officials in six east Florida counties issued evacuation orders for residents in barrier islands, low-lying areas, and mobile homes. Ultimately, about two million people were under evacuation orders across 28 counties. Roughly 61,000 people utilized one of 298 shelters. The roadways most used during the evacuation were the Florida Turnpike and Interstate 75. Airports and ports were closed throughout the state, and Amtrak service was disrupted. Preparations were complicated by the damage from Hurricane Frances three weeks earlier. At least 21 county school districts closed classes; schools in St. Lucie County had been closed since Hurricane Frances. Florida Power and Light brought more than 2,500 electric workers from around the country to help with anticipated power outages. A National Football League game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins was delayed by seven and a half hours because of the storm.
While Jeanne moved through the southeastern United States on September 27, it encountered cooler air in a region with high-level wind shear, producing conditions favorable for tornadoes. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issued a moderate risk of severe weather and tornadoes from Georgia to North Carolina, and later issued a tornado watch for areas around Delaware Bay through southern New Jersey. Various NWS offices issued flood watches and warnings across the southeastern United States, extending into the Mid-Atlantic and northeastward through Massachusetts. The hurricane caused school closures as far northeast as Philadelphia, and airport delays through the New York metropolitan area.
Impact
Lesser Antilles
In its formative stages, Jeanne dropped heavy rainfall across the northeastern Caribbean, reaching 12.2 in (309 mm) at the Marie-Galante Airport in Guadeloupe. Families evacuated in Deshaies and on the island of Marie-Galante. The rainfall overflowed rivers and produced landslides along the west coast of Guadeloupe. Rainfall totals on other islands in the region included 2.7 in (69 mm) on Saint Martin, 1.4 in (35 mm) on Martinique, and 0.87 in (22 mm) on Saint Barthélemy. Wind gusts reached 42 mph (68 km/h) on Martinique and Saint Barthélemy. Rainfall on Antigua and Barbuda, reaching 2.03 in (52 mm), caused low-lying flooding. In the British Virgin Islands, the storm's rains led to landslides that covered roads. In the United States Virgin Islands, Jeanne dropped 12.67 in (322 mm) of rainfall at Charlotte Amalie, the territory's capital on St. Thomas. Around 20 people on the island required rescue from floods. On the nearby island of Saint Croix, there were unofficial reports of 94 mph (151 km/h) wind gusts, and rainfall accumulated to 8.73 in (222 mm). The storm caused landslides, flooding, and crop damage on the island. During the storm, two prisoners escaped from a St. Croix jail. On St. John, the storm downed trees and caused landslides. Damage throughout the territory totaled US$6.4 million, and about 50,000 people lost power.
Puerto Rico
Across Puerto Rico, Jeanne dropped heavy rainfall, with an islandwide peak of 19.22 in (488 mm) recorded in Aibonito, a 1 in a 100-year event. The offshore island of Vieques recorded 23.75 in (603 mm) of precipitation over three days. The rains caused severe flooding along many rivers across Puerto Rico. The highest wind gust in Puerto Rico was 72 mph (116 km/h), recorded near Cayey. Jeanne directly led to four deaths during its passage of Puerto Rico. A woman died in Yabucoa when her home collapsed. A person drowned along a stream in Moca. Two people died, and another was injured, when a tree struck a car near Yauco after the storm had passed. Two people also died of carbon monoxide poisoning from using generators. Storm damage on Puerto Rico reached $169.5 million, including $101.5 million in agriculture damage. The heaviest crop damage affected bananas, coffee, and wheat fields. About 70% of the island was still without electricity by three days after the storm, and half did not have running water; officials issued boil-water advisories as a result. The island's power grid incurred about $60 million in damage, with another $8 million in damage to water systems. Across Puerto Rico, 302 roads were closed due to landslides or fallen trees. The storm also damaged schools, homes, and businesses. On Vieques, the floods collapsed several bridges.