A timeline of events of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season including storm formation, landfall, and dissipation.

March

Although not part of the traditional Atlantic hurricane season, one event in the South Atlantic was so unusual as to merit inclusion here.

On March 25, a tropical cyclone (unofficially named Catarina) formed in the South Atlantic. Although its status is questioned, Catarina is considered to be the first hurricane to have formed in the South Atlantic since satellite observations began.

It made landfall late on March 27 in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. The storm killed at least three, and caused over 350 million USD in damage.

June

No named storms formed in June 2004. On average, June has a roughly 50% chance of having no named storms. At the time, forecasters noted that this was not an indication of a quiet season, as even active seasons often have no named storms form in June.

July

• July 31 - 5 pm EDT (2100 UTC) - Tropical Depression One forms 175 miles (280 km) south-southeast of Charleston, South Carolina.

August

• August 1
  • 2 pm EDT (1800 UTC) - Tropical Depression One is upgraded to Tropical Storm Alex.
• August 3
  • 2 am EDT (0600 UTC) - Tropical Storm Alex is upgraded to Hurricane Alex.
  • 11 am EDT (1500 UTC) - Hurricane Alex reaches Category 2 strength.
  • 11 am EDT (1500 UTC) - Tropical Depression Two forms near the Lesser Antilles, 460 miles (740 km) east of the Windward Islands.
  • Hurricane Alex skirts the Outer Banks of North Carolina but does not make landfall.
• August 4
  • 5 pm EDT (2100 UTC) - Tropical Depression Two degenerates to a tropical wave in the eastern Caribbean Sea.
• August 5
  • 5 am EDT (0900 UTC) - Hurricane Alex reaches Category 3 strength. The storm is centered 625 miles (1000 km) southwest of Cape Race, Newfoundland, among the furthest north a storm has ever reached this strength.
• August 6
  • 11 am AST (1500 UTC) - Hurricane Alex is classified as extratropical.
• August 9
  • 1:45 pm AST (1745 UTC) - Tropical Depression Three forms near the Windward Islands, 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Grenada.
  • 4 pm CDT (2100 UTC) - The remnants of Tropical Depression Two organize into Tropical Storm Bonnie in the southern Gulf of Mexico.
• August 10
  • 5 am AST (0900 UTC) - Tropical Depression Three is upgraded to Tropical Storm Charley.
• August 11
  • 2 pm EDT (1800 UTC) - Tropical Storm Charley is upgraded to Hurricane Charley.
  • Hurricane Charley skirts the southern coast of Jamaica.
• August 12
  • ca. 8 am EDT (1200 UTC) - Hurricane Charley passes between Grand Cayman and Little Cayman.
  • ca. 11 am EDT (1500 UTC) - Tropical Storm Bonnie makes landfall near Apalachicola, Florida.
  • 2 pm EDT (1800 UTC) - Hurricane Charley reaches Category 2 intensity.
• August 13
  • Just after 12 am EDT (0400 UTC) - Hurricane Charley makes landfall in Cuba, crossing over land to the west of Havana as a Category 3 storm, but weakens back down to Catergory 2.
  • 11 am AST (1500 UTC) - Tropical Depression Four forms 275 miles (445 km) south-southeast of Cape Verde.
  • 1 pm EDT (1700 UTC) - Hurricane Charley reaches Category 3 intensity again.
  • 1:15 pm EDT (1715 UTC) - Hurricane Charley reaches Category 4 intensity.
  • 4 pm EDT (2000 UTC) - Hurricane Charley makes landfall just north of Fort Myers, Florida.
  • 5 pm AST (2100 UTC) - Tropical Depression Five forms 1045 miles (1680 km) east-southeast of the Windward Islands.
  • Hurricane Charley crosses central Florida, striking Orlando.
  • 11 pm AST (0300 UTC) - Tropical Depression Four is upgraded to Tropical Storm Danielle.
  • 11 pm EDT (0300 UTC) - Tropical Depression Bonnie is classified as extratropical.
• August 14
  • 2 am EDT (0600 UTC) - Hurricane Charley exits Florida near Daytona Beach.
  • 11 am EDT (1500 UTC) - Hurricane Charley makes landfall again near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina as a Category 1 storm.
  • 2 pm EDT (1800 UTC) - Hurricane Charley is downgraded to a Tropical Storm.
  • 5 pm AST (2100 UTC) - Tropical Depression Five strengthens into Tropical Storm Earl.
  • 11 pm AST (0300 UTC) - Tropical Storm Danielle is upgraded to Hurricane Danielle.
• August 15
  • 10 am EDT (1400 UTC) - Tropical Storm Earl passes just south of Grenada and enters the Caribbean.
  • 11 am EDT (1500 UTC) - Tropical Storm Charley dissipates just east of Cape Cod.
  • 5 pm AST (2100 UTC) - Hurricane Danielle reaches Category 2 intensity.
• August 16
  • 11 am EDT (1500 UTC) - Tropical Storm Earl degenerates to a tropical wave.
• August 18
  • 11 am AST (1500 UTC) - Hurricane Danielle is downgraded to a Tropical Storm.
• August 20
  • 5 pm AST (2100 UTC) - Tropical Storm Danielle is downgraded to a Tropical Depression.
• August 21
  • 11 am AST (1500 UTC) - Danielle dissipates into a broad area of low-pressure.
• August 24
  • 11 pm EDT (0300 UTC Aug. 25) - Tropical Depression Six forms 870 miles (1400 km) west-southwest of Cape Verde.
• August 25
  • 5 pm EDT (2100 UTC) - Tropical Depression Six is upgraded to Tropical Storm Frances.
• August 26
  • 5 pm EDT (2100 UTC) - Tropical Storm Frances is upgraded to Hurricane Frances.
• August 27
  • 11 am EDT (1500 UTC) - Hurricane Frances reaches Category 2 strength.
  • 5 pm EDT (2100 UTC) - Tropical Depression Seven forms 140 miles (225 km) south-east of Charleston, South Carolina.
  • 5 pm EDT (2100 UTC) - Hurricane Frances reaches Category 3 strength.
• August 28
  • 11 am EDT (1500 UTC) - Tropical Depression Seven is upgraded to Tropical Storm Gaston.
  • 5 pm EDT (2100 UTC) - Hurricane Frances reaches Category 4 strength.
• August 29
  • 10 am EDT (1400 UTC) - Tropical Storm Gaston reaches hurricane strength and makes landfall near McClellanville, South Carolina.
  • 5 pm EDT (2100 UTC) - Tropical Depression Eight forms and is designated Tropical Storm Hermine while positioned 325 miles (520 km) southeast of Cape Hatteras.
  • 8 pm EDT (2400 UTC) - Tropical Storm Gaston is downgraded to a Tropical Depression.
• August 30
  • 11 pm EDT (0300 UTC Aug. 31) - Tropical Depression Gaston is re-upgraded to a Tropical Storm.
• August 31
  • 2 am EDT (0600 UTC) - Tropical Storm Hermine makes landfall near New Bedford, Massachusetts.
  • 5 am EDT (0900 UTC) - Tropical Storm Hermine becomes extratropical

September

• September 1
  • 5 am EDT (0900 UTC) - Tropical Storm Gaston becomes extratropical.
• September 2
  • 4 pm EDT (2000 UTC) - Hurricane Frances strikes San Salvador Island.
  • 5 pm EDT (2100 UTC) - Tropical Depression Nine forms 555 miles (900 km) south-west of Cape Verde.
  • 11 pm EDT (0100 UTC Sep. 3) - Hurricane Frances strikes Cat Island.
• September 3
  • 5 am EDT (0900 UTC) - Tropical Depression Nine is upgraded to Tropical Storm Ivan.
  • 5 am EDT (0900 UTC) - Hurricane Frances strikes Eleuthera.
• September 4
  • Hurricane Frances slowly travels over the Bahamas.
• September 5
  • ca. 1am EDT (0500 UTC) - Hurricane Frances makes landfall on the east coast of Florida.
  • 5 am EDT (0900 UTC) - Tropical Storm Ivan becomes Hurricane Ivan.
  • 1 pm EDT (1700 UTC) - Hurricane Ivan reaches Category 3 strength.
  • 5 pm EDT (2100 UTC) - Hurricane Frances is downgraded to a tropical storm.
  • 8 pm EDT (2400 UTC) - Hurricane Ivan reaches Category 4 strength.
  • Hurricane Frances slowly grinds its way across Florida
  • ca. 11pm EDT (0300 UTC Sept. 6) - Tropical Storm Frances emerges over the Gulf of Mexico.
• September 6
  • ca. 2 pm EDT (1800 UTC) - Tropical Storm Frances makes landfall near St. Marks, Florida.
  • 10 pm EDT (0200 UTC Sept. 7) - Tropical Storm Frances is downgraded to Tropical Depression
• September 7
  • ca. 11 pm EDT (1500 UTC) - Hurricane Ivan strikes Grenada.
• September 9
  • 2 am AST (0600 UTC) - Hurricane Ivan reaches Category 5 strength less than 100 miles (160 km) away from Aruba.
  • 5 am AST (0900 UTC) - Tropical Depression Ten forms 420 miles (675 km) west-southwest of the Azores...
  • 5 pm AST (2100 UTC) - ... and dissipates twelve hours later.
• September 11
  • Hurricane Ivan passes just south of Jamaica, lashing it with up to 155 mph (250 km/h) winds.
  • 5 pm EDT (2100 UTC) - Hurricane Ivan has a recorded minimum pressure of 910 millibars, making it the sixth most intense Atlantic hurricane on record.
• September 12
  • ca. 11 am EDT (1500 UTC) Hurricane Ivan passes close to Grand Cayman, bringing widespread destruction.
• September 13
  • 5 pm AST (2100 UTC) - Tropical Depression Eleven forms 70 miles (110 km) east-southeast of Guadeloupe.
  • ca. 8 pm EDT (0000 UTC Sept. 14) Hurricane Ivan crosses the western tip of Cuba.
• September 14
  • 11 am AST (1500 UTC) - Tropical Depression Eleven is upgraded to Tropical Storm Jeanne.
• September 15
  • ca. 2 pm EDT (1800 UTC) - Tropical Storm Jeanne makes landfall near Yabucoa, Puerto Rico.
• September 16
  • 2.15 am CDT (0715 UTC) - Hurricane Ivan makes landfall near Gulf Shores, Alabama.
  • 8 am AST (1200 UTC) - Tropical Storm Jeanne is upgraded to Hurricane Jeanne and makes landfall on the Dominican Republic.
  • 1 pm CDT (1800 UTC) - Hurricane Ivan is downgraded to a tropical storm.
  • 5 pm AST (2100 UTC) - Hurricane Jeanne is downgraded to a tropical storm as it interacts with Hispaniola.
  • 5 pm AST (2100 UTC) - Tropical Depression Twelve forms 670 miles (1080 km) west-southwest of the Cape Verde islands.
  • 11 pm AST (0300 UTC Sept. 17) - Tropical Depression Twelve becomes Tropical Storm Karl.
  • 10 pm CDT (0300 UTC Sept. 17) - Tropical Storm Ivan is downgraded to a tropical depression.
• September 17
  • 5 pm AST (2100 UTC) - Tropical Storm Jeanne is downgraded to a tropical depression ...
  • 11 pm AST (0300 UTC Sept. 18) - ... and recovers to a tropical storm
• September 18
  • 5 am EDT (0900 UTC) - Tropical Storm Karl is upgraded to Hurricane Karl.
  • 5 am EDT (0900 UTC) - Tropical Depression Ivan becomes extratropical while crossing Virginia. Some remnants travel north, others loop back south.
  • 11 am EDT (1500 UTC) - Hurricane Karl reaches Category 2 strength.
  • 11 pm EDT (0300 UTC) - Hurricane Karl reaches Category 3 strength.
• September 19
  • 5 pm EDT (2100 UTC) - Tropical Depression Thirteen forms 650 miles west-southwest of the Cape Verde islands.
  • 5 pm EDT (2100 UTC) - Hurricane Karl reaches Category 4 strength.
• September 20
  • 8 am AST (1200 UTC) - Tropical Depression Thirteen is upgraded to Tropical Storm Lisa.
  • 5 pm AST (2100 UTC) - Tropical Storm Jeanne becomes a hurricane again east of the Bahamas.
• September 22
  • 5 pm AST (2100 UTC) - Hurricane Jeanne reaches Category 2 strength.
  • 6 pm CDT (2300 UTC) - A partial remnant of former Hurricane Ivan regenerates into Tropical Depression Ivan in the Gulf of Mexico.
  • 7 pm CDT (0000 UTC Sept. 23) - Tropical Depression Ivan is upgraded to Tropical Storm Ivan with winds of 40mph, nearly a week after being classified as extratropical.
• September 23
  • ca. 10 pm CDT (0300 UTC Sept. 24) - Tropical Storm Ivan makes landfall near Cameron, Louisiana.
• September 24
  • 5 pm EDT (2100 UTC) - Hurricane Karl becomes extratropical, but remains a strong storm heading north.
  • 10 pm CDT (0300 UTC Sept. 25) - Tropical Depression Ivan downgraded to a remnant low.
• September 25
  • 8 am AST (1200 UTC) - Hurricane Jeanne strikes Great Abaco.
  • 11 am AST (1500 UTC) - Hurricane Jeanne reaches Category 3 strength.
  • 1 pm AST (1700 UTC) - Hurricane Jeanne strikes Grand Bahama.
  • 11:50 pm EDT (0350 UTC Sept. 26) - Hurricane Jeanne makes landfall near Stuart, Florida.
• September 26
  • 2 pm EDT (1800 UTC) - Hurricane Jeanne is downgraded to a tropical storm.
• September 27
  • 2 pm EDT (1800 UTC) - Tropical Storm Jeanne is downgraded to a tropical depression.
• September 28
  • 5 pm EDT (2100 UTC) - Tropical Depression Jeanne becomes extra-tropical.

October

• October 1
  • 5 PM AST (2100 UTC) - Tropical Storm Lisa is upgraded to Hurricane Lisa.
• October 2
  • 5 PM AST (2100 UTC) - Hurricane Lisa is downgraded to a tropical storm.
  • 11 PM AST (0300 UTC Oct. 3) - Tropical Storm Lisa starts becoming extratropical, ending advisories.
• October 8
  • 4 pm CDT (2100 UTC) - Tropical Storm Matthew forms 260 miles (420 km) east-southeast of Brownsville, Texas
• October 9
  • 10 am CDT (1500 UTC) - Tropical Storm Matthew is downgraded to a tropical depression
  • 4 pm CDT (2100 UTC) - Matthew regains tropical storm strength
• October 10
  • 5 am AST (0900 UTC) - A low-pressure system near Bermuda is classified as Sub-Tropical Storm Nicole.
  • ca. 5 AM CDT (1000 UTC) - Tropical Storm Matthew makes landfall on the Louisiana coast south of Houma.
  • 10 am CDT (1500 UTC) - Tropical Storm Matthew is downgraded to a tropical depression
  • 4 pm CDT (2100 UTC) - Tropical Depression Matthew becomes extra-tropical
• October 11
  • 5 pm AST (2100 UTC) - Sub-tropical storm Nicole becomes extratropical.

November

• November 19
  • Later analysis by the National Hurricane Center determine that Tropical Storm Gaston was actually a minimal Category 1 hurricane at landfall.
• November 30
  • 4 pm EST (2100 UTC) - Tropical Storm Otto forms 810 miles (1300 km) east of Bermuda.

December

• December 2
  • 10 am EST (1500 UTC) - Tropical Storm Otto dissipates, finally ending the season.