List of hurricanes in Canada

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Hurricane Fiona was the costliest natural disaster in Atlantic Canada's history.

The list of hurricanes in Canada refers to any tropical cyclone originating in the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean affecting the country of Canada.

Overview

Canada is usually hit with weak storms, due to the generally cool waters offshore. Some hurricanes can strike the area full force as the warm Gulf Stream extends fairly close to Atlantic Canada. Due to the cool waters for a great distance from the Pacific coast of Canada, there has never been a storm of any intensity to affect the Pacific coast. On occasions, tropical systems can transition into or be absorbed by non-tropical systems that strongly affect Western Canada, most notably by the remnants of Typhoon Freda that were absorbed by the Columbus Day Storm of 1962.

The Canadian Hurricane Centre states Hurricane Ella of 1978 is the strongest tropical cyclone in Canadian waters, passing approximately 335 miles (539 km) south of Halifax, Nova Scotia as a Category 4 hurricane. Ella did not make landfall.[1] The strongest hurricane to make landfall in Canada was Hurricane Ginny of 1963,[2] which had winds of 105 mph (169 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 948 millibars (28.0 inHg), making it a Category 2 hurricane at the time of its landfall near Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.[1]

Sometimes, a hurricane will make landfall in the United States and continue northward to dissipate over (or partially over) Canada. Only a handful of storms that have taken this path have been devastating in Canada. Two examples of this happening include the 1900 Galveston hurricane and Hurricane Hazel in 1954. Hurricanes that entered Canada from the U.S. after landfall are omitted from the lists, with being devastating, or notable cyclones. Many extratropical remnants of tropical cyclones have entered Canada. They are not included in the list unless they were particularly notable. This article also includes hurricanes that affected Newfoundland prior to its entry into Canada in 1949, and hurricanes that affected any Canadian provinces before confederation in 1867.

List of tropical cyclones

Pre-1900

Many tropical storms and hurricanes struck present-day Canada during this time. The most damaging one struck Newfoundland in September 1775, killing thousands. To shorten this particular list, insignificant tropical storms and depressions are omitted.

1900–1949

1950–1999

2000–present

Hurricane Larry making landfall in Newfoundland on September 11, 2021

Tables

Number of tropical systems Impact Canada within 60 nm of the coastline from 1951 to 2020[34]
Type Amount
Major Hurricanes (Cat 3+) 2
Hurricanes (Cat 1+) 34
Tropical System (Depression, Storm, and Hurricanes) 79
ExtraTropical and Tropical System (Extratropical storms and Tropical Systems) 141
Wettest tropical cyclones and their remnants in Canada
Highest-known totals
Precipitation Storm Location Ref.
Rank mm in
1 302.0 11.89 Harvey 1999 Oxford, NS [35]
2 249.9 9.84 Beth 1971 Halifax, NS [36]
3 238.0 9.37 Igor 2010 St. Lawrence, NL [37]
4 224.8 8.85 Matthew 2016 Sydney, NS [38]
5 213.6 8.41 Hazel 1954 Snelgrove, ON [39]
6 212.0 8.35 Fiona 2022 Cape North, NS [40]
7 210.0 8.26 Earl 2022 Paradise, NL [41]
8 191.0 7.52 Bertha 1990 Hunter's Mountain, NS [42]
9 185.0 7.28 Sandy 2012 Charlevoix, QC [43]
10 175.0 6.90 Gabrielle 2001 St. John's, NL [44]
Month Number of recorded systems
making landfall in Canada
while still tropical since 1950
January 0
February 0
March 0
April 0
May 0
June 0
July 4
August 6
September 13
October 5
November 1
December 0

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Atlantic hurricane best track (HURDAT version 2)" (Database). United States National Hurricane Center. April 5, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2024. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ a b "What is the strongest hurricane ever to hit Canada?". Canadian Hurricane Centre. 10 July 2012. Archived from the original on 17 August 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  3. ^ "CHC report on Hazel". Archived from the original on 2000-08-30. Retrieved 2006-07-04.
  4. ^ "CHC climate data for Nova Scotia". Archived from the original on 2008-05-26.
  5. ^ "CHC – Storms 1975". Archived from the original on 2006-05-13. Retrieved 2006-07-04.
  6. ^ "Weather Channel's Barry report". Archived from the original on 2007-06-24. Retrieved 2006-07-04.
  7. ^ CHC report on Luis Archived 2006-10-25 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ CHC report on Bertha Archived 2006-05-16 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ Todd Milner; Peter J. Sousounis; James Wallman; Greg Mann (2000). "Hurricane Huron". Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. 81 (2). AMS Online Journals: 223–236. Bibcode:2000BAMS...81..223M. doi:10.1175/1520-0477(2000)081<0223:HH>2.3.CO;2.
  10. ^ CHC report on Hortense Archived 2006-05-16 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ "CHC report on Floyd". Archived from the original on 2006-06-30. Retrieved 2006-07-04.
  12. ^ "CHC report on Michael". Archived from the original on 2001-11-21. Retrieved 2006-07-04.
  13. ^ CHC report on Karen Archived 2006-10-02 at the Wayback Machine
  14. ^ "CHC report on Gustav". Archived from the original on 2006-05-13. Retrieved 2006-07-04.
  15. ^ CHC report on Juan Archived 2007-02-02 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ "CHC report on Ophelia". Archived from the original on 2006-07-16. Retrieved 2006-07-04.
  17. ^ "Landfall of the ??? Cyclone". Archived from the original on 2014-01-16.
  18. ^ "2006 Atlantic Hurricane Season Review". Canadian Hurricane Center. 2007-05-22. Archived from the original on 2007-07-26. Retrieved 2008-01-01.
  19. ^ " Kyle archive Archived 2012-10-22 at the Wayback Machine, National Hurricane Center, accessed 2008-09-28
  20. ^ "CBC News - Nova Scotia - N.S. Man dies swimming during Earl". Archived from the original on 2010-09-07. Retrieved 2010-09-12.
  21. ^ "Hurricane Igor hits close to home for Flame". Archived from the original on 2010-09-23. Retrieved 2010-09-23.
  22. ^ "Tropical Cyclone Report Hurricane Igor (AL112010)" (PDF). National Hurricane Center. 15 February 2011. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  23. ^ "Hurricane Sandy bears down on Eastern Seaboard as millions brace for chaos". Archived from the original on 2021-10-06. Retrieved 2016-10-23.
  24. ^ "Sydney hit with 225 mm of rain, other parts of Nova Scotia get more than 100 mm". Archived from the original on 2018-02-13. Retrieved 2017-08-02.
  25. ^ "Post-Tropical Cyclone Dorian Tropical Cyclone Update 705 PM AST Sat Sep 07 2019". 2019-09-07. Archived from the original on 2021-03-23. Retrieved 2019-09-08.
  26. ^ "Post-Tropical Cyclone DORIAN 800 PM AST Sun Sep 08 2019". 2019-09-08. Archived from the original on 2021-10-06. Retrieved 2019-09-09.
  27. ^ Archive, NHC (8 January 2021). "Post-Tropical Cyclone Teddy Discussion Number 45". nhc.noaa.gov. Archived from the original on 20 March 2021.
  28. ^ Archive, NHC (8 August 2020). "Post-Tropical Cyclone Teddy Discussion Number 46". nhc.noaa.gov. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021.
  29. ^ Post-Tropical Cyclone Teddy, NHC (8 January 2021). "Post-Tropical Cyclone Teddy Discussion Number 47". nhc.noaa.gov. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021.
  30. ^ Evans, Steve (9 January 2023). "Hurricane Fiona industry loss estimate raised 21% to C$800m+ in Canada". Artemis. Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ). Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  31. ^ Fiona officially the costliest extreme weather event in Atlantic Canada, Canadian Underwriter, October 19, 2022
  32. ^ a b Baker, Aaron (January 17, 2023). "Rare January disturbance in Atlantic moves into Canada". FOX Weather. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  33. ^ Papin, Philippe; Cangialosi, John; Beven, John (July 6, 2023). Tropical Cyclone Report: Unnamed Subtropical Storm (PDF) (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  34. ^ NOAA. "Historical Hurricane Tracks". Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  35. ^ "1999-Harvey". Environment Canada. September 14, 2010. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
  36. ^ Environment Canada. Canadian Hurricane Centre: Impacts of Hurricanes. Retrieved on 2007-03-08.
  37. ^ "Hurricane Igor drenches Newfoundland peninsula". Toronto Star. September 21, 2010. Retrieved September 21, 2010.
  38. ^ "Sydney hit with 225 mm of rain, other parts of Nova Scotia get more than 100 mm". CBC News. 2016-10-10. Retrieved 2017-08-02.
  39. ^ Environment Canada. Remembering Hurricane Hazel: Storm Information. Retrieved on 2007-03-08.
  40. ^ "Hurricane Fiona Tropical Cyclone Report" (PDF). National Hurricane Center. 2023-03-23. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
  41. ^ VOCM [https://vocm.com/2022/09/12/trepassey-earl/ Complete “Devastation” in Trepassey Following Damage From Earl, says Area MHA September 2022.] Retrieved on 2022-09-12.
  42. ^ Dr. Hal Garrish. Hurricane Bertha Statistics. Retrieved on 2007-03-08.
  43. ^ "2. Super Storm Sandy and Another Active Hurricane Season". Environment Canada. December 20, 2012. Retrieved December 24, 2012.
  44. ^ Canadian Hurricane Centre (2002). "2001 Tropical Cyclone Season Summary". Retrieved February 27, 2007.