Hurricane season is often associated with the tropics, but Atlantic Canada is no stranger to these extreme weather events that in the past have left thousands of people without power, caused millions of damage and even take a life.
Hurricane Fiona is the next storm that is likely to become a landmark event in Canada, according to Environment Canada meteorologist Jim Prime.
Prime told CTVNews: “One thing we often say at the Canadian Hurricane Center is that it only takes one storm to really have a bad season. ca in an interview on Thursday.
Prime says each storm recorded throughout history is different and can affect previously untouched areas, which is why it’s important for residents to stay alert and prepared. .
Here are some of the major hurricanes that have made landfall in Canada in the past and their impacts.
NEWFOUNDLAND HURRICANE – 1775
Known as Canada’s largest hurricane to this day, the 1775 hurricane killed more than 4,000 people when it swept across the British colony of Newfoundland on September 9, 247 years ago.
According to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Category 4 storm claimed the lives of most sailors at sea, sinking several fishing boats and two British naval vessels. There are also reports of an increase in water levels up to 6.5 to 10 meters high land.
GALVESTON HURRICANE – 1900
Areas of eastern Canada faced the devastation of Hurricane Galveston which began tracking from Cuba as a tropical storm and became a Category 4 hurricane by the time it made landfall in Galveston, Texas. On September 11, 1900, it became an extratropical cyclone as it passed through the Great Lakes and southeastern Canada, where an estimated 52 to 232 lives were lost, according to Environment Canada.
At the epicenter, according to reports, tides reached 4.5 meters and more than 8,000 people were killed in the US, marking the deadliest weather disaster in US history.
HURRICANE HAZEL – 1954
One of the oldest hurricanes still remembered today was Hurricane Hazel, which hit Southern Ontario on October 5, 1954. The impact of Hurricane Hazel was thought to be strong when winds reached 110 km. /h and 85 mm rain washed away houses, streets, and bridges.
The Category 4 hurricane moved from the Caribbean, reaching the mid-Atlantic states before becoming a Category 1 hurricane upon reaching the Toronto area. However, its powerful impact at the time resulted in 81 deaths, thousands of homeless and an estimated $100 million in damage.
HURRICANE JUAN – 2003
A major storm returned to the Maritimes as Hurricane Juan on September 29, 2003. The Category 2 hurricane made landfall in Nova Scotia before moving into Prince Edward Island as a marginal storm, according to Environment Canada. Average wind speeds of 158 km/h and rainfall of 25-40 mm have been reported in the Halifax region.
Eight people were killed in Canada and an estimated 50-100 million trees fell in Nova Scotia within two hours. Hundreds of people in both provinces lost power and residents in Nova Scotia were left in the dark for nearly two weeks.
HURRICANE IGOR – 2010
On September 20, 2010, Hurricane Igor passed Bermuda before it was tracked out off Canada’s Avalon Peninsula, where it unexpectedly continued to move further north to eastern Newfoundland.
The storm recorded winds of up to 140 km/h and at times 172 km/h in Cape Pine, southeastern NL Several areas reported an average of 150 mm of rain leaving more than 150 communities inundated and 70,000 residents. people lost power. One person was also reported dead, one was swept away by the flood.
HURRICANE DORIAN – 2019
One of the recent weather disasters in Canada was Category 2 Hurricane Dorian, which made landfall in Atlantic Canada on September 7, 2019.
According to NOAA, the storm devastated a Category 5 hurricane in the Bahamas before it became a post-tropical cyclone. Wind speeds were estimated at 155 km/h, and Insurance Canada reported more than $105 million in insured damage, much of which was reported by the hardest-hit province of Nova Scotia.
Prime said Hurricane Fiona has a similar trajectory to Dorian, “with really strong winds, heavy rainfall and an impact on New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI and Newfoundland, which is what’s going to happen with this system.”
