Hurricanes in Canada

Francois, NL, house destroyed when Hurricane Florence struck in September 2006. Photo credit: V. Thorne

For more info on hurricanes

• Canadian Hurricane Centre

Provincial and territorial emergency management organizations (EMOs) are a good source of information about how to prepare for emergencies in your region. Learn more from your EMO.

Hurricanes are violent tropical storms. These extreme storms occasionally hit eastern Canada usually between June and November – September is the peak month. Vacationers heading to southern destinations should be aware that hurricanes directly affect the southeast United States and Caribbean during the same months.

• Hurricane facts
• What to do when a Hurricane Watch or Warning is issued
• What to do during a Hurricane
• Mobile Homes
• Include this page in your emergency plan

Hurricane facts

• A hurricane is a tropical storm whose winds revolve around a center of low pressure.
• The centre is called the eye. In the eye of a hurricane there is a calm area of blue sky.
• Around the eye there are very strong winds – a minimum speed of 120 kilometres per hour – accompanied by torrential rains.
• Hurricanes cause more widespread damage than tornadoes because they are bigger – some as large as 1,000 kilometres across.
• The most destructive effect of a hurricane is the storm surge, often causing serious flooding.

What to do when a Hurricane Watch or Warning is issued

Hurricanes can often be predicted one or two days in advance of their landfall.  The key to hurricane protection is preparation. By taking precautions before, during, and after a hurricane, lives can be saved and property damage averted.

It is important to stay informed by listening to the latest warnings and advisories on radio, television, or web sites. The Canadian Hurricane Centre will issue and update these when necessary.

• If a hurricane is forecast, secure everything that might be blown around or torn loose – indoors and outdoors. Flying objects such as garbage cans and lawn furniture can injure people and damage property.
• Trim dead branches and cut down dead trees to reduce the danger of these falling onto your house during a storm.
• Stock up on water, ready-to-eat food and heating fuel, as well as battery-powered or wind-up flashlights and radios – and extra batteries. Make sure that there is gasoline in the car. For a complete list of emergency supplies, go to emergency kits. Also, learn what to have in your car emergency kit.
• If you live on the coast or in a low-lying area near the coast, move inland and to higher ground. The high winds create huge waves at sea which, when they reach the shore, may become tidal waves or storm surges. If you are advised by officials to evacuate, do so. Take your emergency kit with you.

During a hurricane

• Never go out in a boat during a storm. If you are on the water and you see bad weather approaching, head for shore immediately. Always check the marine forecast before going boating and listen to weather reports during your cruise.
• As a rule, hurricanes move slowly and batter communities for several hours. Do not go down to the water to watch the storm. Most people who are killed during hurricanes are caught in large waves, storm surges or flood waters.
• If the eye of the hurricane passes over, there will be a lull in the wind lasting from two or three minutes to half an hour. Stay in a safe place. Make emergency repairs only and remember that once the eye has passed over, the winds will return from the opposite direction with possibly even greater force.
• Listen for reports from authorities on your portable radio.
• You can use a cellular telephone during a severe storm, but it's not safe to use a land-line telephone.
• On a farm, it may be better to leave livestock unsheltered. During Hurricane Andrew, some horses left outside suffered less injury then those placed in shelters. This was because some shelters selected did not withstand the high winds. Horses were injured by collapsing structures and flying objects that may have been avoided on the outside.

Mobile homes

If you live in a mobile home:

• Position your mobile home near a natural windbreak such as a hill or clump of trees.
• Anchor the structure securely. Consult the manufacturer for information on secure tie-down systems.
• When a severe storm approaches, seek shelter in a more secure building.
• Staying in a mobile home during a hurricane can be more dangerous than going outside. When you go outside, lie down in a ditch or depression away from the mobile home and away from cars.

Include this page in your emergency plan

If you live in a region affected by hurricanes, print this information and include copies in your emergency plan and emergency kit.