Horrifying hurricanes

A hurricane is a cyclical storm of tropical origin thousands of square kilometres across with speeds between 65 and 240 knots (120—445 km/h). Canada’s east coast is often visited by hurricanes between August and October, although most dissipate and are downgraded to gale force (34—47 knots or 65—90 km/h) storms by the time they reach our shores. Some hurricanes, however, have left their horrifying mark:

— On Aug. 24—25, 1927, a hurricane swept through Atlantic Canada, washing out roads, filling basements, and swamping boats. In Newfoundland, 56 people died at sea.
— On Oct. 15, 1954, Hurricane Hazel dumped an estimated 300 million tonnes of rain on Toronto, obliterating streets and washing out bridges. In all, 83 people died.
— On Sept. 11, 1995, the QE2 ocean liner was struck by a 30-m wave during Hurricane Luis off the coast of Newfoundland, the largest measured wave height in the world.
— On Sept. 28, 2003, Hurricane Juan walloped Nova Scotia with winds in excess of 150 km/h. The storm killed 2 people, beached boats, uprooted hundreds of trees, and left thousands without power for days.