A weak tropical distrubance moved across the tropical Atlantic.  On the 3rd, it merged with an upper cyclone
north of the Greater Antilles.  The system organized and moved west-northwest, developing a surface circulation
over the central Bahamas.  The tropical depression moved into southeast Florida before recurving back out to sea
near Cape Kennedy/Canaveral.  The system strengthened after offshore and became a tropical storm late on the
7th.  As the system accelerated northeast, Gerda achieved hurricane strength on the afternoon of the 8th.  The
cyclone was moving at a forward speed of 40 mph when it made landfall across the eastern tip of Maine by
the evening of the 9th.  The graphics below show the storm total rainfall from Gerda.  Rainfall data was
provided by the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, North Carolina.