Hurricane Jerry (1989) (Blackford)

Hurricane Jerry was a erratic and very powerful hurricane which impacted the East Coast of the United States, The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands, Cuba and Bermuda.

The strongest hurricane of the slightly above average 1989 Atlantic hurricane season, Jerry was noted as a very erratic and unpredictable hurricane.

Meteorological history
On August 29, the remnants of a weak tropical depression became a tropical wave north of The Bahamas.

By September 3, the system had developed a strong circulation and the NHC confirmed a tropical depression had developed at 17:00 UTC off the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Early on September 4, the NHC named it Tropical Storm Jerry with winds of 45 mph and a pressure of 998 mbar.

Jerry moved along a relatively normal path, and intensified into a hurricane on September 6, however Jerry unexpectedly began rapid intensification and pulled south, becoming a major hurricane early on September 8.

The storm continued along this unusual southward track, and on September 9 gradual weakening began.

By September 11, 1989, the storm had weakened to a 85 mph Category 1 hurricane, however early on September 12 the storm underwent yet another gradual intensification, becoming a Category 3 hurricane once again on September 13. Early on September 14, the storm became a Category 4 major hurricane and it appeared that a landfall in Cuba was imminent.

Finally, on September 15, the storm achieved a peak intensity as a 165 mph Category 5 hurricane with a pressure of 921 mbar just north of the Cuban coast.

However, Jerry unexpectedly pulled northeastward right before landfall and weakened to a Category 4 in the process.

Jerry then pulled northwestward towards The Bahamas on September 17, and early on September 19 became a Category 5 once again with winds of 160 mph and a pressure of 924 mbar.

It quickly weakened to a Category 4 hurricane, and neared landfall on September 20, finally, early on September 21, the storm made landfall as a 130 mph Category 4 hurricane roughly 30 miles north of Miami.

However, most predictions had the storm going into the Gulf of Mexico and quickly re-intensifying, however, instead Jerry took a loop once inland and pulled back out to the Atlantic Ocean on September 23.

From here, Jerry pulled northeastward before executing a loop off the coast of Georgia on September 24, intensifying into a Category 1 hurricane in the process.

Jerry finally re-intensified into a 130 mph Category 4 hurricane by September 26 as it made landfall in Bermuda.

Jerry pulled northwestward over open waters on September 27, and accelerated towards Maine, finally making landfall on September 30 as a minimal Category 3 major hurricane, the furthest north land-falling major hurricane in recorded history.

It became a post-tropical cyclone on October 1, and diminished on October 2.

Aftermath
Jerry caused severe impacts on the island of Bermuda, becoming the strongest storm in recent history for the island. It also caused severe impacts in Maine, where it made landfall as a Category 3 major hurricane, the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the state.

Retirement
Due to the severe impacts and high death toll of Jerry, the WMO retired it in Spring 1990. The name Jerry will never again be used for a Atlantic hurricane, it was replaced by the name Jefferey for use in the 1995 Atlantic hurricane season.