Hurricane Jeanne Causes Major Damage in Florida and May Move Up U.S. East Coast

Miami, FL (HDW) September 27, 2004 – Hurricane Jeanne made land fall in Florida on Sunday, and it is expected to move up the United States eastern coast as a tropical storm or weaker. A tropical storm warning remains in effect from north of Cocoa Beach to the Savannah River according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The center of Jeanne was about 35 miles west-northwest of Gainesville, Florida around 11:00 PM eastern time on 26 September according to NOAA. The picture above from a NASA satellite displays Jeanne as it ravages Florida.

Tropical Storm Jeanne is moving to the north at about 14 miles per hour (22 km/hr) and may reach Virginia and the Washington, DC area by Wednesday. The center of Jeanne should move into southern Georgia by Monday afternoon and cause storm activity and rain in the Atlanta region. Maximum sustained winds are 50 miles per hour with higher gusts. Tropical storm force winds extend up to 175 miles from the center at this time. A storm surge of 2 to 4 feet of water is still possible in the warning area along the Florida coast. Rain fall of 4 to 8 inches and storm surge of 1 to 3 feet are possible in northern Florida and southern Georgia which are along Jeanne’s immediate path. Isolated tornados are possible from Florida up to southeastern North Carolina. The potential 5-day ground track of Jeanne is displayed in the map below provided by NOAA. NOAA encourages people to stay advised to updates from their local weather office.