The second storm of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season, Bonnie developed from a tropical wave on August 3 to the east of the Lesser Antilles.

Bonnie attained its peak intensity with maximum 1-minute sustained winds of 65 miles per hour (105 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 1001 mbar (29.56 inHg) on August 11 while located over the Gulf of Mexico.

Bonnie was the first of five tropical systems in the 2004 season to make landfall in Florida, coming ashore the day before Hurricane Charley struck.

The tropical storm caused a tornado outbreak across the Southeastern United States which killed three people and inflicted over $1 million (2004 USD) in damage.

The origins of Bonnie were in a tropical wave that emerged from the coast of Africa on July 29 and entered the Atlantic Ocean.

Convection steadily increased, and, upon the development of a low-level circulation center, the system organized into Tropical Depression Two on August 3 while 415 miles (668 km) east of Barbados.

It moved rapidly westward at speeds of up to 23 mph (37 km/h); after crossing through the Lesser Antilles on August 4, it degenerated back into a tropical wave.

While south of Cuba and through the Cayman Islands, the system slowed down to regenerate convection, and it re-developed into a tropical depression on August 8.

[4] The storm briefly weakened late on August 10; it re-strengthened again the following day to attain a peak intensity of 65 mph (105 km/h).

Guadeloupe, Martinique, Dominica, St. Maarten, Saba, St. Eustatius, Puerto Rico and the U.S Virgin Islands issued tropical storm watches.

[9] As a tropical depression, the storm moved rapidly through the Lesser Antilles; consequently, most islands only experienced minor effects.

Bonnie was accompanied by a 4 ft (1.2 m) storm surge; moderate wave action caused slight beach erosion.

[16] In Stella, Bonnie generated a waterspout that struck a campground, damaged nine trailers, and wrecked small boats.

[21] As an extratropical low combined with a frontal system, Bonnie continued to produce moderate rainfall in Canada, peaking at 3.5 inches (89 mm) in Edmundston, New Brunswick.

President George W. Bush responded to the storm by declaring much of Florida a Federal Disaster Area on August 13, 2004.