Do you like to study the history of hurricanes? Maybe compare the different levels of impact of hurricanes with the same name?
Just how do those storms get named anyway?
The hurricanes and tropical storms you hear about each Atlantic hurricane season get their names from six lists originated and recycled every six years by the World Meteorological Organization.
A name is retired and replaced when a storm with that name causes extreme property damage and loss of life. Jerry is the 10th name on the list for 2025.
The name Jerry has been attached to storms in the Atlantic for more than 35 years. Those storm systems include two hurricanes and four tropical storms.
As you’ll see below, even when a storm system only reaches tropical storm status, it’s very important to take any weather warnings seriously.
Jerry’s potential formation in 2025 as a tropical storm or hurricane connects directly to its wind speed.
Phases of Tropical Cyclones
All named storms are a form of tropical cyclone — a rotating, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over tropical or subtropical waters and has a closed low-level circulation.
Phase 1: Tropical Depression
Early in a cyclone’s development, as a tropical depression, wind speeds are less than 39 mph.
Tropical depressions are not given names but are numbered and tracked in case they grow into tropical storms or hurricanes.
Phase 2: Tropical Storm
Should a sufficiently powerful weather system develop late in the season with a sustained wind speed of 39 mph, Tropical Storm Jerry will make its debut.
Phase 3: Hurricane
If that speed reaches 74 mph, Hurricane Jerry will enter the record books.
If you live in an area where such a storm system is expected, take all necessary precautions, keep up to date on reports of the storm’s path, and don’t underestimate the potential impact to your community.
When Was Hurricane Jerry?
Jerry grew to hurricane force in 1989 and 2019. Of the two storms, Hurricane Jerry in 1989 was the weaker system at Category 1 but was more destructive.
In 2019, Jerry reached Category 2 but stayed out to sea.
Where Did Hurricane Jerry Hit?
In 1989, Jerry made landfall on Galveston Island, Texas, as a Category 1 hurricane. The storm rapidly weakened from hurricane status, but its remnants caused flash flooding as far inland as Kentucky, West Virginia, and Virginia.
Thirty years later, Jerry was a Category 2 hurricane but never impacted land.
Of the four tropical storms named Jerry, only one reached land. In 1995, Tropical Storm Jerry formed between Florida and the Bahamas and caused six deaths in the southeast United States.
What Category Was Hurricane Jerry?
Tropical Storm Jerry never reached a hurricane category in 1995, 2001, 2007, or 2013. When you hear reports of a hurricane’s category, you are hearing a description of wind speed on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.
In 1989, Jerry was a Category 1 hurricane with wind speeds between 74 and 95 mph.
That bumps to 96 to 110 mph with a Category 2, Jerry’s strength in 2019.
What Time Will Hurricane Jerry Make Landfall?
There is no correlation between similarly named hurricanes in history, as the records of the previous Jerry storms show.
Researching, “What time did Hurricane Jerry make landfall?” will not help you prepare for a potential Hurricane Jerry in 2025.
With any current storm predicted to reach your region, stay up to date on weather forecasts and be aware of that specific storm’s estimated landfall.
With any severe storm, don’t make the mistake of waiting until the last minute to reach a safe area.
This article will be updated should more details about Jerry become available in 2025.
The Power of Preparedness
Ensure your family is protected in the face of unexpected challenges with our Disaster Preparedness Guide.
Topics Include:
— Family Communication Plan
— Evacuation Plans
— Care for Pets
— Weather Monitoring
Download Our Disaster Preparedness Guide!
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How Many People Died in Hurricane Jerry?
In 1989, Hurricane Jerry was connected with three deaths in Texas. All three were in a car that was either blown or washed off the seawall in Galveston.
Whenever you hear of an approaching tropical storm or hurricane, evacuate if authorities call for that step. At some point during an approaching storm, authorities will usually indicate when it is no longer safe to travel and that it is wise to shelter in place. Observe all such warnings.
What Was the Path of Hurricane Jerry?
Hurricane Jerry’s path in 1989 took it from the southern part of the Gulf of Mexico up across Texas and toward the eastern U.S. states.
In 2019, the weather system that created Hurricane Jerry moved off the coast of West Africa and crossed the Atlantic. It passed north of South America into the Caribbean before veering directly north and back east.
Convoy of Hope & Hurricanes
Convoy of Hope, a faith-based nonprofit serving the poor in dozens of program countries around the world, responded to its first disaster in 1998 when flooding in Del Rio, Texas, followed that year’s Tropical Storm Charley.
Hurricane response continues to be an annual priority for Convoy.
Convoy’s 2024 response to Hurricane Helene.
Convoy’s 2024 Major Responses
In the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, Hurricane Beryl broke two records — becoming the earliest Category 4 storm on June 30 and the earliest Category 5 on July 1.
Convoy quickly began meeting the needs of communities in Beryl’s path. Beryl’s first effects were felt in the Caribbean, where Convoy served more than 43,000 meals and distributed family food kits, hygiene kits, water filters, solar lamps, and generators.
To view Convoy’s response to Hurricane Ian, watch the video above.
On September 26, Category 4 Hurricane Helene became the strongest recorded hurricane to strike Florida’s Big Bend region.
It was the deadliest hurricane since 2005’s Katrina, with more than 230 fatalities.
By November, Convoy had distributed more than 4 million pounds of resources in 85 communities across Florida and five other impacted states.
Hurricane Milton was the final major storm of the 2024 season and hit Florida with heavy rain and flooding even as the state continued to recover from Helene.
Convoy continued its regional response to include 27 communities recovering from Milton. Nearly 1 million pounds of resources were distributed.
Convoy of Hope Disaster Services responds to natural disasters around the world, offering help and hope to people facing some of the most challenging circumstances in their lives.
Convoy of Hope is a nonprofit, faith-based organization with a driving passion to feed the world through children’s feeding initiatives, community outreach, and disaster response.
