Hurricane Alex, August 2004
Updated 2004/08/06
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Event Headlines
...Hurricane Alex was the first storm of the 2004 hurricane season...
...Hurricane Alex was a small compact storm with limited, direct impact on Central North Carolina...
Overview
Hurricane Alex was the first storm of the 2004 hurricane season. The hurricane reached Category 2 intensity
as it tracked between just offshore from Cape Lookout and Cape Hatteras North Carolina.
Tropical Depression Alex
formed about 170 miles east of Jacksonville Florida at 500 PM EDT on Saturday, July 31. The system was initially
poorly organized but it reached Tropical Storm intensity at 200 PM EDT on Sunday August 1, 2004.
Alex gradually intensified off the coast of Georgia and South Carolina on Sunday and
Monday. The storm moved slowly and erratically before a definitive northeast
motion began Monday afternoon.
Alex reached Hurricane intensity at 200 AM on Tuesday August 3, 2004 while centered about 75
mile south-southeast of Wilmington, NC. The hurricane quickly intensified Tuesday morning
as it traveled just off the North Carolina coast. At 200 PM EDT the Hurricane reached category 2 status
when its sustained winds reached 100 mph.
Hurricane Alex’s track paralleled the North Carolina coast on Tuesday with the center
of the storm remaining just offshore. The western fringe of the eye wall skirted the Outer
Banks from Cape Lookout to Cape Hatteras. Peak wind gusts of 102 mph were observed at
Hatteras Village. The northwesterly winds over the Pamlico Sound
drove a storm surge of up to 3 to 6 feet into portions of Ocracoke and Hatters Village.
Hurricane Alex pulled away from the coast during the late afternoon hours on Tuesday.
Additional Details
Additional details may become available at the NWS offices directly affected by the storm...
The National Weather Service Newport/Morehead City
The National Weather Service Wilmington
Hurricane Alex Track
Hurricane Alex's was track was erratic and meandering on Saturday July 31 and Sunday August 1, 2004 as
the tropical cyclone was in its development and organizational phase. As the system became better organized
late Sunday August 1 and Monday August 2, 2004, its motion became northeastward and its forward motion
gradually increased.
Hurricane Alex Track
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Detailed Hurricane Alex Track
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Maximum Wind Gusts from Hurricane Alex
Maximum wind gusts from Hurricane Alex shows the highest wind speeds were located
across the outer banks and Carteret County. Wind speeds increased dramatically toward
Cape Hatteras and Ocracoke. The highest wind gust report came from Hatteras Village where
a wind gust to 102 MPH was observed at 220 PM EDT.
Hurricane force wind gusts were confined to Cape Hatteras and Ocracoke. Tropical storm
force wind gusts extended north and west to far northern Dare, Tyrrell, Hyde, Pamlico,
and western Carteret Counties.
Radar Imagery of Hurricane Alex
Short Radar Loop from KMHX
Loop of base
reflectivity imagery from 101 PM EDT (1701Z) through 222 PM EDT (1822Z).
Very Long Radar Loop from KMHX
Loop of base
reflectivity imagery from 903 AM EDT (1303Z) through 222 PM EDT (1822Z).
Regional Composite Radar Imagery of Hurricane Alex on 2004/08/02 at 800 PM EDT (00Z)
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Regional Composite Radar Imagery of Hurricane Alex on 2004/08/03 at 600 AM EDT (10Z)
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Regional Composite Radar Imagery of Hurricane Alex on 2004/08/03 at 100 PM EDT (17Z)
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Height of the Storm
The highest wind gusts from Hurricane Alex were reported from around 100 PM EDT (1700Z) through
around 230 PM EDT (1830Z). The reports below detail some of the impacts Hurricane Alex had
on the Outer Banks during this period. The reports are from the Preliminary Local Storm Report from the
National Weather Service Office in Newport/Morehead City NC.
Java Loop of base
reflectivity radar imagery from KMHX between 101 PM EDT (1701Z) and 222 PM EDT (1822Z).
NWUS52 KMHX
LSRMHX
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0120 PM HURRICANE HATTERAS VILLAGE 35.22N 75.69W
08/03/2004 OUTER BANKS DARE NC BROADCAST MEDIA
78 MPH WIND GUST.
0140 PM HURRICANE OCRACOKE 35.10N 75.98W
08/03/2004 OUTER BANKS HYDE NC BROADCAST MEDIA
4 FOOT SOUNDSIDE STORM SURGE. WIDESPREAD FLOODING AND
CARS FLOATING.
0145 PM HURRICANE OCRACOKE 35.10N 75.98W
08/03/2004 OUTER BANKS HYDE NC LAW ENFORCEMENT
WIDESPREAD SOUNDSIDE FLOODING. NUMEROUS HOMES FLOODED.
0200 PM HURRICANE OCRACOKE 35.10N 75.98W
08/03/2004 OUTER BANKS HYDE NC BROADCAST MEDIA
5 FEET OF WATER ON PARTS OF HIGHWAY 12. WIDESPREAD
SOUNDSIDE FLOODING.
0215 PM HURRICANE BUXTON 35.26N 75.53W
08/03/2004 OUTER BANKS DARE NC TRAINED SPOTTER
SUSTAINED WINDS OF 80 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 90-100 MPH.
0215 PM HURRICANE HATTERAS VILLAGE 35.22N 75.69W
08/03/2004 OUTER BANKS DARE NC TRAINED SPOTTER
SOUNDSIDE FLOODING. OVERWASH ON PARTS OF HIGHWAY 12 IN
HATTERAS VILLAGE.
0220 PM HURRICANE HATTERAS VILLAGE 35.22N 75.69W
08/03/2004 OUTER BANKS DARE NC STORM CHASER
102 MPH MEASURED GUST.
Photographs of a Rain Band as it Moved through Raleigh that was Indirectly Associated with Alex on Monday, August 2, 2004
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