Hurricane Hazel was the worst hurricane of the 1954 Atlantic hurricane season and one of the worst hurricanes of the 20th century. Hazel killed as many as 1,000 people in Haiti before striking the United States just south of Wilmington, North Carolina as a Category 4 hurricane. 19 people were killed in North Carolina, and 81 people were killed when it subsequently hit Toronto, Canada. It is the strongest hurricane ever recorded to strike so far north. The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is a scale classifying most Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the levels of tropical depression and tropical storm and thereby become hurricanes; the categories it divides hurricanes into are distinguished by the intensities of their respective sustained winds. ... October 5 is the 278th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (279th in Leap years). ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 17 is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Miles per hour is a unit of speed, expressing the number of international miles covered per hour. ... Kilometres per hour (American spelling: kilometers per hour) is a unit of both speed (scalar) and velocity (vector). ... A millibar (mbar, also mb) is 1/1000th of a bar, a unit for measurement of pressure. ... HPA means Physiology Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis: The hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal glands work together to regulate hormone levels and maintain homeostasis. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... Official language(s) English Capital Charleston(1670-1789) Columbia(1790-present) Largest city Columbia Largest metro area Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson Area  Ranked 40th  - Total 34,726 sq mi (82,965 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 260 miles (420 km)  - % water 6  - Latitude 32°430N to 35... This article is the current U.S. Collaboration of the Week. ... Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area  Ranked 35th  - Total 42,793 sq mi (110,862 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 7. ... Official language(s) English Capital Charleston Largest city Charleston Area  Ranked 41st  - Total 24,244 sq mi (62,809 km²)  - Width 130 miles (210 km)  - Length 240 miles (385 km)  - % water 0. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Official language(s) None Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 km²)  - Width 160 miles (255 km)  - Length 280 miles (455 km)  - % water 2. ... Official language(s) English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 km²)  - Width {{{WidthUS}}} miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Official languages English Flower White Trillium Tree Eastern White Pine Bird Common Loon Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats 106 24 Area Total... The 1954 Atlantic hurricane season was an on-going event in the cycle of tropical cyclone formation. ... This article is about weather phenomena. ... The 1954 Atlantic hurricane season was an on-going event in the cycle of tropical cyclone formation. ... Wilmington is a city in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. ... The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is a scale classifying most Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the levels of tropical depression and tropical storm and thereby become hurricanes; the categories it divides hurricanes into are distinguished by the intensities of their respective sustained winds. ...

Storm history

Storm path

On the afternoon of October 5, hurricane hunter planes found the eye about 50 miles (80 km) east of the island of Grenada. On October 11, Hurricane Hazel crossed Haiti. It then moved northward across the Bahamas. By October 14, just before reaching the Carolinas, hurricane hunter planes found Hazel's winds to have accelerated to 150 mph (240 km/h), and the storm was moving at an incredible forward speed of 30 mph (48 km/h). Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x878, 523 KB) Summary Hurricane Hazel (1954) track. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x878, 523 KB) Summary Hurricane Hazel (1954) track. ... October 5 is the 278th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (279th in Leap years). ... The name Hurricane Hunters is the nickname for two groups that fly instrumented aircraft into Atlantic hurricanes for the purpose of data collection. ... October 11 is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... October 14 is the 287th day of the year (288th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Carolinas is a collective term used in the United States to refer to the states of North and South Carolina together. ... Miles per hour is a unit of speed, expressing the number of international miles covered per hour. ... Kilometre per hour (American spelling: kilometer per hour) is a unit of both speed (scalar) and velocity (vector). ...

The storm made landfall at the North Carolina/South Carolina border in the morning on October 15 [3]. The storm center became extratropical as it passed over Raleigh, North Carolina (while a strong Category 3 storm) early on October 15. This article is the current U.S. Collaboration of the Week. ... Official language(s) English Capital Charleston(1670-1789) Columbia(1790-present) Largest city Columbia Largest metro area Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson Area  Ranked 40th  - Total 34,726 sq mi (82,965 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 260 miles (420 km)  - % water 6  - Latitude 32°430N to 35... October 15 is the 288th day of the year (289th in leap years). ... Extratropical is a term used in advisories and tropical summaries to indicate that a cyclone has lost its tropical characteristics. ... Nickname: City of Oaks Motto: You Can See the Whole State from Here Map of Wake County, North Carolina Coordinates: Country United States State North Carolina County Wake County Founded 1792 Mayor Charles Meeker (D) Area    - City 299. ... October 15 is the 288th day of the year (289th in leap years). ...

The rapid forward speed allowed hurricane conditions to spread farther inland than any other storm in recorded history. Wind gusts over 100 mph (160 km/h) were recorded as far as upstate New York, where Hazel still carried Category 2-force winds. The 113 mph (180 km/h) gust recorded in New York City, over 200 miles (320 km) from the storm's center, is still the highest wind speed recorded in the city's history. Official language(s) English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 km²)  - Width {{{WidthUS}}} miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ... Nickname: Big Apple; City that never Sleeps; Gotham Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ...

Moving very rapidly, the storm ran into a cold air mass over Toronto, Ontario, Canada and gave up its moisture — 210 mm (8.5 in) of rain. Wind gusts were estimated to be over 150 km/h (90 mph) and sustained winds were as high as 124 km/h (77 mph), meaning it was still a hurricane-strength storm – after over 600 miles (960 km) on land. 81 people were killed in Toronto where entire neighborhoods were washed away. It weakened below hurricane strength after about 18 hours on land about 120 miles (200 km) north of Toronto, at around 45°N latitude. ^[1] Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Official languages English Flower White Trillium Tree Eastern White Pine Bird Common Loon Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats 106 24 Area Total...

The storm (finally no longer hurricane-strength) then continued north, into sparsely populated areas, then crossed the Arctic Circle, and finally broke near Scandinavia. ^[2] Scandinavia is a region in Northern Europe. ...

Records

Hurricane Hazel is the only recorded Category 4 hurricane to make landfall as far north as North Carolina, although several other hurricanes (including Diana of 1984 and Helene of 1958) have come very close to doing so. There have been ten recorded Category 3 hurricanes to strike North Carolina since 1851, and several others to strike farther north. ^[3] The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is a scale classifying most Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the levels of tropical depression and tropical storm and thereby become hurricanes; the categories it divides hurricanes into are distinguished by the intensities of their respective sustained winds. ... This article is the current U.S. Collaboration of the Week. ... ... Lowest pressure 934 mbar (hPa) Damages $11 million (1958 USD) $72 million (2005 USD) Fatalities 0 direct, 1 indirect Areas affected North Carolina, Atlantic Canada Part of the 1958 Atlantic hurricane season Hurricane Helene was the strongest hurricane in the 1958 Atlantic hurricane season, reaching peak winds of 135 mph...

Impact

Haiti

Hazel's death toll in Haiti was estimated as high as 1,000 people. It also destroyed several towns, as well as about 40% of the coffee trees and 50% of the cacao trees. A cup of coffee // Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world. ... Binomial name Theobroma cacao L. For the town in French Guiana, see Cacao, French Guiana. ...

Bahamas

Hazel left six dead throughout the Bahamas.

Hazel Rainfall across the Northeast U.S.

Image File history File links Hazel1954kocinrain. ... Image File history File links Hazel1954kocinrain. ...

United States

At landfall, Hazel brought a storm surge of 14.5 feet (4.4 m) to a large area of coastline. Hazel wiped out much of Garden City, South Carolina, leaving only two of 275 homes habitable. Coastal damage was severe along the southeastern coast of North Carolina. The highest storm surge was recorded at Calabash, coincidentally arriving at the highest lunar tide of the year and reaching 18 feet (5.5 m) above mean low water. Southport and Wrightsville Beach were wrecked. Nineteen people were killed in North Carolina, with several hundred more injured; 15,000 homes were destroyed and another 40,000 damaged. Garden City is a census-designated place (CDP) in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. ... Calabash is a town located in Brunswick County, North Carolina. ... The tide is the cyclic rising and falling of Earths ocean surface caused by the tidal forces of the Moon and the Sun acting on the Earth. ... The population was 2,351 at the 2000 census. ... Wrightsville Beach is a town located in New Hanover County, North Carolina. ...

Hazel toppled trees and flooded communities through Virginia and all the way to the Canadian border. Damage was reported throughout the Mid-Atlantic States from northern New York to South Carolina. In the United States alone, Hazel had killed 95 people, and had done US$281 million ($1.94 billion c.2005) worth of property damage. The coniferous Coast Redwood, the tallest tree species on earth. ... Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area  Ranked 35th  - Total 42,793 sq mi (110,862 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 7. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... Official language(s) English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 km²)  - Width {{{WidthUS}}} miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ... Official language(s) English Capital Charleston(1670-1789) Columbia(1790-present) Largest city Columbia Largest metro area Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson Area  Ranked 40th  - Total 34,726 sq mi (82,965 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 260 miles (420 km)  - % water 6  - Latitude 32°430N to 35...

Canada

Hazel was just as deadly in Canada, particularly in the province of Ontario.

Canadian newspaper showing the aftermath of Hurricane Hazel

By midnight on October 15, an historic 210 mm (8.5 in) of rain fell on the watersheds of Toronto, Ontario's Don and Humber rivers, and the Etobicoke and Mimico creeks. Mountainous waves lashed the shoreline of Lake Ontario. The Holland Marsh north of Toronto, a major muckland agricultural region, was completely submerged and highways through the marsh were made impassable by the storm. The flash flooding that followed destroyed 20 bridges, killed 81 people, including five firemen who died in rescue attempts, and left about 2000 families homeless. A wall of water rushing down the Humber River swept away a full block of homes on Raymore Drive, and killed 32 sleeping residents in an hour. It was the deadliest hurricane to hit Canada in recorded history, and no natural disaster since has led to such a high death toll on Canadian soil. Monetary damages in Toronto were estimated at C$25 million (approx. US$200 million c.2005). Wind damage was also reported. In its aftermath, Toronto and the surrounding communities implemented policies banning home construction and other development projects in ravines or floodplains, to avoid the recurrence of death and destruction caused by Hazel. Image File history File links Hazel2. ... Image File history File links Hazel2. ... The Don River is one of two rivers bounding the original settled area of Toronto, Canada along the shore of Lake Ontario, the other being the Humber River to the west. ... The Humber, as seen from a point near the northern border of Toronto. ... Etobicoke Creek is one of the many creeks running through Toronto, Ontario and the Toronto Area into Lake Ontario, often characterised by their winding paths through deep ravines and distinctive shale banks. ... Mimico Creek has its headwaters in the vicinity of the community of Malton Ontario, now part of Mississauga. ... Lake Ontario (French: lac Ontario), bounded on the north by Ontario and on the south by Ontarios Niagara Peninsula and by New York State, is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. ... Holland Marsh is a farm-producing flatlands that much of the area that used to be a swamp. ... Muck is a soil made up primarily of faeces from drained swampland. ... Lower Antelope Canyon was carved out of sandstone over millions of years by flash floods A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas, rivers and streams, that is caused by the intense rainfall associated with a thunderstorm, or multiple training thunderstorms. ... A log bridge in the French Alps near Vallorcine. ... Firefighter with an axe A firefighter, sometimes still called a fireman though women have increasingly joined firefighting units, is a person who is trained and equipped to put out fires, rescue people and in some areas provide emergency medical services. ... ISO 4217 Code CAD User(s) Canada Inflation 2. ...

In all, Hazel killed up to 100 people and caused US$100 million ($700 million c.2005) in damages in Canada.

Retirement

See also: List of retired Atlantic hurricanes

The name Hazel was retired and is unlikely to be used for an Atlantic hurricane again; this was before the formal lists were created, so it was not replaced with any particular name. This is a list of all Atlantic hurricanes that have had their names retired. ... Atlantic hurricane refers to a tropical cyclone that forms in the Atlantic Ocean north of the equator, usually in the Northern Hemisphere summer or autumn. ...

See also

Tropical cyclones Portal

• List of notable tropical cyclones
• List of notable Atlantic hurricanes

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x662, 320 KB) http://eol. ... This is a list of notable tropical cyclones, subdivided by basin and reason for notability. ... This is a list of notable Atlantic hurricanes, subdivided by reason for notability. ...

References

External links

• NOAA: North Carolina hurricanes – Hazel
• NOAA: Hurricane History – Hazel
• Hazel (1954) Rainfall page from HPC
• Ontario Plaques - Hurricane Hazel
• CBC Digital Archives - The Wrath of Hurricane Hazel