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Thursday, August 5, 2004, 11:00 AM ... GOES-12 Hurricane "Alex" sets the record as strongest hurricane north of 38 degrees north latitude.

Wednesday, August 4, 2004, 3:00 pm ... GOES-12 Hurricane "Alex" off the mid Atlantic coast with 105 mph winds.

Tuesday, August 3, 2004, 5:50 pm ... NOAA-12 Hurricane "Alex" off the coast of the Outer Banks of North Carolina with 100 mph winds.

Monday, August 2, 2004, 7:00 pm ... NOAA-15 Tropical Storm "Alex" stronger yet, moving over the Gulf Stream.

Monday, August 2, 2004, 9:00 am ... GOES-12 Tropical Storm "Alex" gains strength.

Sunday, August 1, 2004 ... NOAA-15 The first Tropical Storm of the Atlantic seasons, "Alex", remains stationary. NOAA-15 view from early evening.

Sunday, August 1, 2004 ... NOAA-16 The first Tropical Storm of the Atlantic seasons, "Alex", forms. NOAA-16 view from mid afternoon.

Saturday, July 31, 2004 ... NOAA-12 Tropical Depression 1 forms off the northeast coast of Florida

Friday, July 30, 2004 ... NOAA-12 A strong tropical wave slowly getting better organized in the eastern Bahamas

Thursday, July 29, 2004 ... NOAA-15 A strong tropical wave slowly getting better organized in the SE Bahamas

History:

"Alex", the first tropical storm of the Atlantic season formed Sunday afternoon, August 1, from a slow moving tropical wave that developed in the Bahamas Thursday, July 29. The system was upgraded to a depression on Saturday, July 31. During the beginning of the storm, most of the convection was located to the south of the center of rotation over the warm waters off the Georgia and NE Florida coasts. The storm strengthened to 58 mph Monday morning as it began to slowly move toward the NE. As it crossed the Gulf Stream Monday evening, winds increased to 65 mph then reached hurricane force early Tuesday morning and up to 90 mph mid morning 35 miles south of Cape Lookout, NC then 100 mph during the afternoon. A wind gust of 102 was measured at Hatteras, NC and a 5 minute wind average of 75 mph at Avon Pier as the eye-wall passed over those areas. As the storm moved away from the coast, it intensified into a category 3 storm and passed north of 38 north latitude making it the strongest hurricane north of that location making it all the way to 42 degrees with 120 mph winds before encountering cooler waters which led to its demise.

Slow moving storms like these can generate very heavy rainfall. The 24 hour estimated rain accumulation over the off-shore waters indicated that a foot fell over that location.