[58], In the Carolinas, the National Guard was mobilised by the evening of October 15 to prevent looting along affected areas of the coastline. TIMES-TRIBUNE ARCHIVES A police officer walks under a tree brought down by Hurricane Hazel in the 500 block of North Webster Avenue, Scranton. Hurricane Hazel developed into a dangerous Category 4 hurricane over the south-eastern Caribbean Sea on October 5, blasting Hispaniola on October 12. The hurricane brought a storm surge of over 18 feet to a large area of the North Carolina coastline, producing severe coastal damage. Gusts topping 80 mphwere recorded in Allentown as the storm passed through. Climate Plots, Observations Eastern NC Skywarn [6] The forecast called for high winds between 65km/h (40mph) and 80km/h (50mph), with only occasional showers. Brunswick County suffered the heaviest damage, where most coastal dwellings were either completely destroyed or severely damaged. Tornado warnings were issued in southeastern Pennsylvania, although no tornadoes were ultimately observed. Text Products After causing 95 fatalities in the US, Hazel struck Canada as an extratropical storm, raising the death toll by 81 people, mostly in Toronto. More than 280,000 PPL customers lost power. Figure 2. The United States Weather Bureau promptly classified the system as Hurricane Hazel. Behold snow rollers: A rare weather wonder spotted in the Lehigh Valley. September 20, 1928 An extratropical storm caused winds of 75km/h. Gusts up to 48 mph were recorded in Allentown, and 60 mph in Forks Township. With Hazel having a forward speed of as much as 55 mph at times, the Raleigh-Durham Airport reported sustained winds of 75 mph with gusts to 90 mph. The 100mph (160km/h) winds were therefore revised downward to 65mph (100km/h) late on October5, though it was estimated that the storm attained hurricane status at 00:00UTC on October6. Despite all of the historic blizzards, floods, ice storms and tornado outbreaks, Hurricane Hazel is still remembered in Canada as their storm of the century. See book of the same name, by Jim Gifford. National Climate Data [6] Hurricanes are generally expected to lose power after going north of Florida due to lower water temperatures. Hazel gradually turned back northward passing over the southeastern Bahamas on October 13, then turned more northwestward on the 14th when hurricane hunter planes found Hazels maximum winds had increased to 150 mph with the center now moving at a rapid 30 mph in response to a strong upper level trough moving eastward over the Mississippi Valley. Please Contact Us. Hurricane Hazel was the deadliest and costliest hurricane of the 1954 hurricane season (Figure 1) and is the strongest and only Category 4 hurricane to ever hit the North Carolina coast. If you are author or own the copyright of this book, please report to us by using this DMCA report form. HORRY COUNTY, SC (WMBF) - Hurricane Hazel made landfall in the Carolinas on October 15th 1954 and was the deadliest and costliest hurricane of the 1954 Atlantic hurricane season. [3][6] The storm slowed and turned northward, passing over James Bay early on October17. Area Forecast Matrices Diane made landfall to the south, and as a tropical storm proceeded to wallop the Lehigh Valley. r2C3@?52=6 H2D C:AA65 @77]k^Am, kAm%96 &]$] (62E96C qFC62F @77:46 :? In Haiti, Hazel destroyed 40 percent of the coffee trees and 50 percent of the cacao crop, affecting the economy for several years. [7] The Hurricane Hunters were unable to observe the core of the storm until it neared land, reporting an eye 18mi (33km) in diameter on October15. New York and Boston declared a snow emergency the day of the storm as well. Only the names of the most destructive storms are retired; others are reused. kAmwFCC:42?6 w2K6= 2CC:G65 :? When it hit Ontario as an extratropical storm, rivers and streams in and around Toronto overflowed their banks, which caused severe flooding. Eastern NC Skywarn In West Virginia, the average amount of rain received was 230mm (9in) with localized amounts of 300mm (12in) reported in the Appalachians. Leon was married to Hazel Florence for sixty-plus years until her death in 2021, and they were the proud parents of three . The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. On Thursday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is to release its forecast for the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season, which begins June 1. [23] Puerto Rico suffered its worst flooding since 1899 as a result of the hurricane. Text Forecast Pennsylvania (21-26) South Carolina ( 1) Virginia ( 13) West Virginia ( 1) Total 103-108 . 7@C q6== %6=6A9@?6 C6A@CE65 E92E `[hca A9@?6 =:?6D H6C6 5@H? Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Hurricanes belonged in the tropics. Instead the hurricane took a northwest turn and headed toward land. Bookmark. There were 70 deaths locally, many from a camp near East Stroudsburg, when the Brodhead Creek released what eyewitnesses described as a 40-foot wall of water. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Point Forecast Matrices They include tropical depressions, tropical storms and hurricanes. September 13, 1878 A extratropical storm produced at least 70km/h sustained winds throughout the state. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [14] Meteorologists predicted that if Hazel merged with the cold front, the storm would not lose intensity, but would instead potentially strengthen. 2FE9@C:EJ @? Report DMCA. Due to the potential for tropical storm formation, a Hurricane Hunters plane flew from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to investigate the system. One death was reported in Pennsylvania. This storm was still classified as a hurricane as it skimmed the Jersey Shore and continued north into New England. Map View In all, the storm caused more than 500 deaths in Haiti and $160 million in damage in the U.S. That figure includes $1.5 million from the Allentown tornado, which damaged 50 homes and Dieruff High School. . [38] The tugboat Indian, carrying five barges, sank in the James River; four of the eight crew members drowned. The 94 mph gust clocked at Philadelphia International Airport remains the highest ever measured officially in the city. Two Special Weather Bulletins were issued by the Dominion Weather Office, but since it was expected that the storm would pass east of Toronto, few other warnings were given and there were no evacuations, which increased the eventual property damage and loss of life. The coastal area near the landfall was battered by winds estimated to have been as high 150 mph. Storm Prediction Center Area Forecast Matrices With existing infrastructure already poor, the recovery was very slow since many of the few existing roads were blocked, and communications equipment was either out, damaged, or destroyed. [9] After the storm had turned northward, tropical cyclone warnings were posted for Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the waters of the Mona Passage. Air Quality Mesonet With such high winds state-wide, heavy damage was caused to forests, and to property as a result of falling trees. [50] The Etobicoke Creek also overflowed its banks at the village of Long Branch, killing seven people after many dwellings were swept into Lake Ontario. Surf Zone Forecast/Rip Currents Start a dialogue, stay on topic and be civil. October 13, 1885 An extratropical storm produced 70km/h sustained winds throughout the state. Before then, they were referred to by the year and order in which they occurred. As a result of the high storm surge, the low-lying sandy barrier islands were completely flooded. Hurricane Hazel was the deadliest and costliest hurricane of the 1954 hurricane season (Figure 1) and is the strongest and only Category 4 hurricane to ever hit the North Carolina coast. There was an error processing your request. Office Staff But it still managed to inflict an estimated $6.5 billion in damages, killing 40 people and causing major flooding. Almost 13 inches of rain was reported in Hunterdon County. A week after Hurricane Irene saturated the ground, the remnants of Lee brought more heavy rain, including 6 to 8 inches across much of the Lehigh Valley. By way of comparison, 16 years earlier there was another devastating East Coast hurricane which was also badly forecast and resulted in a great loss of life and extensive property damage. Questions? Newport/Morehead City, NC533 Roberts RdNewport, NC 28570252-223-5737Comments? The rebuilding after the partial destruction would transform Myrtle Beach from a "quaint summer colony to a high-rise resort city". Sunday partly cloudy, continued cool. Cocorahs. TIMES-TRIBUNE ARCHIVES When Hurricane Hazel tore through the Lackawanna Valley on Oct. 15, 1954, a tree on Carroll Street, Pittston, fell victim to the high winds and raised this car several feet into the air when it toppled over. The death toll was estimated to be as high as 1,000people; most of the casualties drowned when the water flowed in a flood down the mountains, some of which were as high as 2,400m (8,000ft). The Hunterdon County borough of Stockton recorded New Jersey's highest rainfall total of the storm: 11.4 inches. For it to be considered a hurricane, the cyclone must have sustained winds of 74 mph or more. US Dept of Commerce National Storm Report Viewer As a result of the high death toll and the damage caused by Hazel, its name was ret This hurricane moved up Floridas east coast and passed through central and eastern Pennsylvania as a tropical storm, to the west of the Lehigh Valley. October 3, 1929 An extratropical storm caused winds of 55km/h. Allison first moved through the Gulf States, then moved out to sea near the Jersey Shore. It then traveled north along the Atlantic coast. To help with the cleanup, 800members of the military were summoned, and a Hurricane Relief Fund was established that distributed $5.1million (2021: $51.5million) in aid. [34] With such high winds state-wide, heavy damage was caused to forests, and to property as a result of falling trees. Myrtle Beach, SC reported a peak gust of 106 mph; Washington DC reported sustained winds to 78 mph while peak gusts to over 90 mph were reported far to the north in New York state. TIMES-TRIBUNE ARCHIVES Loaves of bread are strewn in foreground, and heavy beams crush trucks at Williams Bakery, 311 Cliff St., Scranton, where Hurricane Hazel tore the roof off the building on Oct. 15, 1954. Each day's obituaries, delivered to your inbox. In mid-October 1954, Hurricane Hazel came ashore in North Carolina and affected inland areas of Pennsylvania as a Category 1 storm, causing flooding and uprooting trees before moving into Canada. [ 42FD:?8 A9@?6 @FE286D E@ e[fgg 4FDE@>6CD :? The storm killed at least 469people in Haiti before striking the United States near the border between North and South Carolina as a Category 4 hurricane. [35] Damages in the Carolinas amounted to $163million, with $61million incurred by beachfront property. Hurricane Hazel was the largest Atlantic hurricane in the 1954 storm season and she discharged her sound and fury all the way from Haiti, across the eastern USA and into Canada. The dates in the list cover the lifetime ofanygiven storm. Based on the pressure, a larger than average size, and the fast forward movement, the landfall intensity was estimated at 130mph (215km/h), or a Category4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. A tropical storm has maximum sustained winds at or above 39 mph. August 22, 1888 A tropical storm produced 75km/h sustained winds throughout the state. Severe Weather Safety It formed on October 5th near the island of Granada in the southern Caribbean, left more than a thousand dead (mostly in Haiti) and caused over $3 billion (in 2012 dollars) in damages from the Caribbean to Canada. Due to timely warnings, only nine people were killed (eight by drowning and one by a landslide), but infrastructure, buildings, and agricultural areas suffered serious damage, and over 11,000 people were evacuated from flooded areas. Damages in the U.S. were estimated near $50 billion. October 24, 1923 An extratropical storm caused winds of 75km/h. 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