Hurricane Jerry (Hitman)

Hurricane Jerry was a destructive Category 4 hurricane that devastated Cuba and Florida in September and early October 2019. In all, 44 people were killed and $29.2 billion (2019 USD) in damages.

A tropical wave that organized northwest of Ecuador was expected to become a Pacific major hurricane, but instead tracked into the Atlantic due to a powerful ridge that was stationary to the north of the tropical wave. After moving into the Atlantic basin, the wave became a tropical depression to the southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and the Yucatán Peninsula. The depression rapidly strengthened into a Category 1 Hurricane Jerry as the hurricane approached an area of warm water and very low winds shear. On Jerry's south-southwest approach of Cuba, his intensity was upped to 105-Category 2 winds. After striking Cuba and causing 14 deaths along with $1.2 billion in damages, Jerry approached Florida as a high-end Category 2, with 110 mph winds. Florida governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency as Jerry was expected to strengthen into a Category 3 major hurricane. Jerry rapidly strengthened, becoming a Category 4 hurricane. Jerry made landfall around 2 AM on September 20 north of Estero, Florida at peak strength, which was 150 mph and a pressure reading of 930 mbar. Jerry caused up to 26 inches of rain and hundreds of homes were damaged or destroyed. Jerry began to weaken, but remained as a low-end Category 4 hurricane. During the evening of the 21st, Jerry turned north, weakening to a low-end Category 2 hurricane east of Orlando, Jerry then turned east, weakening even further to a tropical storm, moving east-northeast, Jerry weakened further due to unfavorable conditions into a tropical depression. For the next 2 weeks, Jerry moved north-northeast, causing rain in Newfoundland and even rain in southern Greenland and southern Iceland. After turning and looping multiple times, Jerry's remnants dissipated on October 8 after killing 44 and causing $29.2 billion (2019 USD) in damages. 30 of the deaths occurred in Florida and $28 billion in damages, Due to economic losses and the deaths Jerry caused, Jerry was retired and replaced with John for the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season.