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History

Hurricane Hazel

What is hurricane hazel?

· Emily Grant

Key facts

Formed October 5, 1954[1]
Landfall October 15, 1954[1]
Landfall location Carolinas[1]
U.S. deaths 95[2]
Canada deaths 81[2]

Hurricane Hazel was a 1954 Atlantic hurricane that formed near Grenada on October 5, 1954, and made landfall in the Carolinas on October 15, 1954, as a marginal Category 4 hurricane. It was the deadliest and costliest storm of the 1954 Atlantic hurricane season, killing 95 people in the U.S. and 81 in Canada.

Context

Hurricane Hazel formed near Grenada on October 5, 1954, and made landfall in the Carolinas on October 15, 1954, as a marginal Category 4 hurricane [1]. It was the deadliest and costliest storm of the 1954 Atlantic hurricane season, killing 95 people in the U.S. and 81 in Canada [2]. In North Carolina, Hazel was the strongest and only Category 4 hurricane to hit the coast, causing 19 deaths [1]. After crossing into Canada, the storm brought flooding rains to southern Ontario, where 81 people died [3]. Its legacy in Ontario included the development of weather warning systems, watershed conservation, and flood warning and control measures [4].

Documented claims

  • Hurricane Hazel was the deadliest and costliest hurricane of the 1954 Atlantic hurricane season. [1]
  • Hazel was the strongest and only Category 4 hurricane to hit the North Carolina coast. [1]
  • After crossing into Canada, Hazel caused flooding rains in southern Ontario and killed 81 people. [3]

Related

Category 5 HurricaneHurricane Hazel was a Category 5 hurricane at peak intensity, and readers may want to understand what that classification means.Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina is another notable Atlantic hurricane often compared with Hazel in terms of destruction and impact.

Questions and answers

Where did Hurricane Hazel hit in Canada?

Hurricane Hazel hit southern Ontario in Canada, where it caused flooding rains and killed 81 people [3].

How many people died in Hurricane Hazel in 1954?

Hurricane Hazel killed 95 people in the United States and 81 people in Canada, for a total of 176 deaths [2].

What was the worst hurricane to hit Canada?

Hurricane Hazel is considered one of the worst hurricanes to hit Canada, killing 81 people in southern Ontario and leading to major flood control improvements [4].

Sources

  1. Hurricane Hazel (D-109) - NC DNCR — dncr.nc.gov (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  2. Hurricane Hazel — dnr.sc.gov (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  3. Hurricane Hazel — thecanadianencyclopedia.ca (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  4. Remembering Hurricane Hazel 70 Years Later — redcross.org (retrieved August 3, 2026)

Sources last checked August 3, 2026. · More in History