List of hurricanes in Canada explained

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 isn't usually hit with many storms, with the ones that do hit usually being 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 335miles south of Halifax, Nova Scotia as a Category 4 hurricane. Ella did not make landfall. The strongest hurricane to make landfall in Canada was Hurricane Ginny of 1963,[1] which had winds of 105mph and a minimum pressure of 948mbar, making it a Category 2 hurricane at the time of its landfall near Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.

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

Tables

Number of tropical systems Impact Canada within 60 nm of the coastline from 1951 to 2020[35]
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
MonthNumber 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

Notes and References

  1. Web site: What is the strongest hurricane ever to hit Canada? . 10 July 2012 . Canadian Hurricane Centre . 25 June 2018 . 17 August 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210817233559/https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/hurricane-forecasts-facts/frequently-asked-questions.html#ws06983922 . live.
  2. Web site: CHC report on Hazel . 2006-07-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20000830152857/http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/weather/hurricane/storm54.html# . 2000-08-30 . dead .
  3. Web site: CHC climate data for Nova Scotia . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080526093034/http://atlantic-web1.ns.ec.gc.ca/climatecentre/default.asp?lang=En&n=61405176-1 . 2008-05-26.
  4. Web site: CHC – Storms 1975 . 2006-07-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060513212825/http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/weather/hurricane/storm75.html#blanche#blanche . 2006-05-13 . dead.
  5. Web site: Weather Channel's Barry report . 2006-07-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070624080736/http://www.weather.com/encyclopedia/tropical/archive/1995/storms.html# . 2007-06-24 . dead .
  6. http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/weather/hurricane/storm95.html#luis CHC report on Luis
  7. http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/weather/hurricane/storm96.html CHC report on Bertha
  8. Hurricane Huron. AMS Online Journals. Todd Milner. Peter J. Sousounis . James Wallman . Greg Mann . Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. 2000. 81. 2. 223–236. 10.1175/1520-0477(2000)081<0223:HH>2.3.CO;2. 2000BAMS...81..223M. free.
  9. http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/weather/hurricane/storm96.html CHC report on Hortense
  10. Web site: CHC report on Floyd . 2006-07-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060630052140/http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/weather/hurricane/storm99.html#floyd#floyd . 2006-06-30 . dead.
  11. Web site: CHC report on Michael . 2006-07-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20011121164245/http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/weather/hurricane/storm00.html# . 2001-11-21 . dead.
  12. http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/weather/hurricane/storm01.html CHC report on Karen
  13. Web site: CHC report on Gustav . 2006-07-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060513212536/http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/weather/hurricane/storm02.html# . 2006-05-13 . dead.
  14. http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/weather/hurricane/storm03.html CHC report on Juan
  15. Web site: CHC report on Ophelia . 2006-07-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060716041500/http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/weather/hurricane/storm05.html# . 2006-07-16 . dead .
  16. Web site: Landfall of the ??? Cyclone . https://web.archive.org/web/20140116101103/http://www.weather.com/blog/weather/8_11050.html. 2014-01-16.
  17. Web site: 2006 Atlantic Hurricane Season Review . . 2007-05-22 . 2008-01-01 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070726014055/http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/weather/hurricane/storm06.html . 2007-07-26 .
  18. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2008/refresh/KYLE+shtml/000402.shtml" Kyle archive
  19. Web site: CBC News - Nova Scotia - N.S. Man dies swimming during Earl . 2010-09-12 . 2010-09-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100907031938/http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2010/09/04/ns-storm-earl-hits.html . live .
  20. Web site: Hurricane Igor hits close to home for Flame. 2010-09-23. 2010-09-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20100923174215/http://www.torontosun.com/sports/hockey/2010/09/22/15443806.html. live.
  21. Tropical Cyclone Report Hurricane Igor (AL112010) . 15 February 2011 . National Hurricane Center . English.
  22. Web site: Hurricane Sandy bears down on Eastern Seaboard as millions brace for chaos. 2016-10-23. 2021-10-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20211006174914/https://nationalpost.com/category/news/. live.
  23. News: Sydney hit with 225 mm of rain, other parts of Nova Scotia get more than 100 mm. 2017-08-02. 2018-02-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20180213143816/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/rain-rainfall-flooding-totals-environment-canada-wind-sydney-1.3799354. live.
  24. Web site: Post-Tropical Cyclone Dorian Tropical Cyclone Update 705 PM AST Sat Sep 07 2019. 2019-09-07. 2019-09-08. 2021-03-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20210323160239/https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2019/al05/al052019.update.09072305.shtml. live.
  25. Web site: Post-Tropical Cyclone DORIAN 800 PM AST Sun Sep 08 2019. 2019-09-08. 2019-09-09. 2021-10-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20211006174910/https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2019/al05/al052019.public_a.063.shtml. live.
  26. Web site: Archive. NHC. 8 January 2021. Post-Tropical Cyclone Teddy Discussion Number 45. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210320101846/https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2020/al20/al202020.discus.045.shtml. 20 March 2021. nhc.noaa.gov.
  27. Web site: Archive. NHC. 8 August 2020. Post-Tropical Cyclone Teddy Discussion Number 46. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210302105118/https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2020/al20/al202020.discus.046.shtml. 2 March 2021. nhc.noaa.gov.
  28. Web site: Post-Tropical Cyclone Teddy. NHC. 8 January 2021. Post-Tropical Cyclone Teddy Discussion Number 47. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210110161545/https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2020/al20/al202020.discus.047.shtml. 10 January 2021. nhc.noaa.gov.
  29. Web site: Evans . Steve . 9 January 2023 . Hurricane Fiona industry loss estimate raised 21% to C$800m+ in Canada . 10 January 2023 . Artemis . Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ).
  30. https://www.canadianunderwriter.ca/catastrophes/fiona-officially-the-costliest-extreme-weather-event-in-atlantic-canada-1004227058/ Fiona officially the costliest extreme weather event in Atlantic Canada
  31. News: Baker . Aaron . Rare January disturbance in Atlantic moves into Canada . January 17, 2023 . FOX Weather . January 17, 2023.
  32. Papin. Philippe. Cangialosi. John. Beven. John. Tropical Cyclone Report: Unnamed Subtropical Storm. National Hurricane Center. Miami, Florida. en-US. July 6, 2023. July 6, 2023.
  33. Web site: 2024-08-19 . Hurricane Ernesto to swing south of Newfoundland, but it will bring heavy rain and high seas . 2024-08-20 . CTVNews . en.
  34. Web site: Hurricane ERNESTO . 2024-08-20 . www.nhc.noaa.gov.
  35. Web site: Historical Hurricane Tracks . . January 5, 2021.