The following is a list of
weather events that occurred on Earth in the year
2004. There were several natural disasters around the world from various types of weather, including
blizzards,
cold waves,
droughts,
heat waves,
tornadoes, and
tropical cyclones. The deadliest disaster was
Hurricane Jeanne, which killed more than 3,000 people when it struck
Hispaniola, mostly in
Haiti. This was just four months after
flooding in Hispaniola killed 2,665 people. Jeanne was also the fourth hurricane to strike the United States in the year, following
Charley,
Frances, and
Ivan. Ivan was the costliest natural disaster of the year, causing US$26.1 billion in damage in the Caribbean and the United States.
In February, a
snow storm dropped significant snowfall across eastern Canada.[1]
In December, a
snow storm killed 18 people and left US$800 million in damage.[2]
Another
winter storm produced snowfall in Texas and extreme northern Mexico, causing the first ever recorded White Christmas for some areas.[3]
Droughts, heat waves, and wildfires
Alaska's wildfire season was the worst on record in the state in terms of area burned.[4] In California, there were 7,898 fires that burned 311,024 acres (1,258.67 km2) of land.[5]
In July,
Tokyo,
Japan recorded its highest-ever temperature – 39.5 C (103.1 F).[6]
Floods
This section needs expansion. You can help by
adding to it. (March 2022)
During the year, there was a record-high total of 1,817 tornadoes in the United States alone, collectively resulting in 35 deaths.[9][10] This included
an outbreak related to Hurricane Ivan, which resulted in 120 tornadoes, the most ever related to a tropical cyclone.[11]
In addition to the United States tornadoes, a powerful tornado struck portions of North-Central
Bangladesh in April, killing 111 and injuring nearly 1,500 others.[12] Seven people were killed and 207 injured by a tornado that appeared on the evening of April 21 in
Hengyang, Hunan, China.[13][14]
Tropical cyclones
Satellite image of
Cyclone Gafilo, one of the strongest and deadliest cyclones to strike
Madagascar
As the year began,
Cyclone Heta was developing near
Fiji,[15] and a few days later, it devastated the South Pacific nation of
Niue, resulting in damage equivalent to 25% of its
gross domestic product (GDP).[16] Also as the year began,
Tropical Storm Darius was approaching
Mauritius in the south-west Indian Ocean.[17] Throughout 2004, a further 18 tropical cyclones developed in the south-west Indian Ocean,[18][19] which included
Cyclone Gafilo, the
most intense tropical cyclone on record in that part of the world.[20] In March, Gafilo struck Madagascar near peak intensity, killing 363 people.[18][21] A month prior to Gafilo,
Cyclone Elita moved across the same country for the third time, dropping heavy rainfall that led to 33 deaths.[18] In the Australian region, there were 14 tropical cyclones throughout the year, including
Tropical Cyclone Raymond which lasted into early January 2005.[19][22] The South Pacific Ocean had 15 tropical cyclones after Heta, most of them weak.[23][24]
In addition to the previous tropical cyclones in the Southern Hemisphere, there was an unusual
South Atlantic tropical cyclone named
Cyclone Catarina, which became the first-ever recorded hurricane off the coast of
Brazil. The body of water was previously thought to be hostile to the formation of tropical cyclones. Catarina caused about US$425 million in damage and 12 fatalities.[25][26]
In the Northern Hemisphere, a record ten typhoons struck
Japan, part of the active
typhoon season, collectively causing 214 fatalities. Among the typhoons was
Typhoon Songda, which left an estimated US$12.5 billion in damage.[27] There was a series of tropical cyclones affecting the Philippines in a two-week period from November to early December, resulting in 1,762 deaths.[28] In the north-east Pacific Ocean, there were 17 tropical cyclones, most of which remained away from land.[29][30] In the North Indian Ocean, there were nine tropical cyclones, with the practice of
naming storms beginning in October. The season included a
deadly cyclone in Myanmar that killed 236 people, and a
depression that killed 273 people in India.[31][32]
In the north Atlantic Ocean, there were 16 tropical cyclones, most of which affected land in the Caribbean or the United States.[33] Four hurricanes –
Charley,
Frances,
Ivan, and
Jeanne – affected Florida in a six-week period, the most to affect the state in a year.[34] Charley left US$16.9 billion in damage when it hit Cuba and Florida.[35][36] Damage from Frances was estimated at US$9.8 billion.[35] Ivan was the season's strongest, killing 92 people and causing US$26.1 billion in damage in the Caribbean and the United States.[37] Jeanne struck Hispaniola, causing 3,029 deaths on the island, mostly in Haiti, and later caused US$7.5 billion in damage in the United States.[36]
^
abEric S. Blake; Jerry D. Jarrell; Max Mayfield; Edward N. Rappaport; Christopher W. Landsea (July 28, 2005).
"Costliest U.S. Hurricanes 1900–2004 (adjusted)"(PDF). NOAA Technical Memorandum NWS TPC-1: The Deadliest, Costliest, and Most Intense United States Tropical Cyclones from 1851 to 2004 (And Other Frequently Requested Hurricane Facts).
National Hurricane Center. Retrieved October 10, 2007.