Hurricane Hazel battered the GTA 62 years ago

spaminator

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Hurricane Hazel battered the GTA 62 years ago
More than half of the residents on one Weston street drowned
By Mike Filey
First posted: Saturday, October 15, 2016 11:08 AM EDT | Updated: Saturday, October 15, 2016 11:13 AM EDT
I’m sure we were all amazed by the recent ferociousness of Hurricane Matthew.
I’m also sure that many of us felt a little smug because hurricanes “never” hit this part of the world.
Well, they don’t except one did 62 years ago this weekend. Born in the Caribbean, this one was dubbed Hazel and after raking the east coast of the United States weather officials were sure Hazel would veer eastward and out into the Atlantic as most hurricanes of the past had done.
This time however, the elements were such that this usual deflection didn’t happen and Hazel made a beeline for Lake Ontario and more specifically the communities west of downtown Toronto.
To make matters worse over the previous week the southern part of Ontario had been drenched with rain. Any more rain and there would be no place for the water to go other than the rivers and streams in and around the city, into watercourses such as the Don, the Rouge and in particular Black Creek and the usually docile Humber. To the north the fertile lands that comprised Holland Landing would soon become a huge lake.
Back on the western boundary of Toronto it was now late in the evening of Oct. 15 and most people living along the length of the Humber River had gone to bed. Somehow the sound of the rain on the roof was soothing.
Outside, the Humber River, now identified as one of Canada’s Heritage Rivers and one that drained more than 900 square-kilometers north and west of the city, was starting to overflow its banks. The pressure of water in the fast rising river caused a fragile foot bridge spanning the Humber south of Lawrence Ave. to collapse thereby diverting the raging river down a quiet residential street called Raymore Dr. Within 15 minutes, 19 of its little houses had been washed off their foundations and out into the river along with more than 50 of the street’s sleeping residents.
One of those houses was occupied by the related Edwards and Neil families. John Neil was at work, the others, three adults and six children were lost. They now rest in Mount Pleasant Cemetery.
Thanks to Bruce Newton the full story of Hurricane Hazel’s surprise visit and the aftermath can be found at: Hurricane Hazel, October 16, 1954 | Toronto Paramedic Services
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Again this year there will be GHOST WALKS through Exhibition Place. These two hour walks conducted by Steve Collie will take place each Friday evening this month. The cost of each tour is $20 per person (cash only) and each starts at 7 p.m., concluding at 9 p.m. Please call 416-263-3658 to register.
Steve will also host a series of Ghost Walks of Downtown Brampton during which nine haunted locations where the paranormal is still active will be visited. The Brampton walks will take place on Oct. 22 and 29 starting at 8 p.m. at the Bandshell in Gage Park. The cost is $10 per person. For more info call Steve Collie at 416-876-8588.
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Many of Mike’s Sunday Sun columns have been published by Dundurn Press in 12 different volumes each titled “Toronto Sketches, The Way We Were”. They are available, along with several other Filey titles, from http://amazon.ca.
mfiley@postmedia.com
Hurricane Hazel battered the GTA 62 years ago | Mike Filey's The Way We Were | T
 

Curious Cdn

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Feb 22, 2015
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It followed a really weird trajectory to reach Toronto. It also parked itself over a relatively warm Lake Erie and built up energy back to hurricane level.

One of the distictive features of Toronto and its surroundings is a number of river and creek valleys that are all green parkland.It wasn't always that way, though and they were once all full of riverside houses. People died in some numbers in a couple of those and now, construction is forbidden in most of them, thus providing the GTA with much of its green space. Out where I live in Oakville, there are control structures here and there, now hidden in the green spaces and in place in case another "worst case scenerio" should occur.
 

Walter

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Jan 28, 2007
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It followed a really weird trajectory to reach Toronto. It also parked itself over a relatively warm Lake Erie and built up energy back to hurricane level.
Bullcrap. Erie isn't big enough to warm up anything. Hazel was never a hurricane in TO.
 

Curious Cdn

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Feb 22, 2015
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Bullcrap. Erie isn't big enough to warm up anything. Hazel was never a hurricane in TO.

Well, it did stall over the Lakes and pick up energy. It may not have made it all the way up to Category 1 but it was an "Extratropical Cyclone" according to Environmoent Canada.

I keep forgetting that Walter is a climate expert.
 
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Walter

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Jan 28, 2007
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Well, it did stall over the Lakes and pick up energy. It may not have made it all the way up to Category 1 but it was an "Extratropical Cyclone" according to Environmoent Canada.

I keep forgetting that Walter is a climate expert.
Link about the picking up energy from Erie.
 

lone wolf

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Nov 25, 2006
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I don't know about picking up any energy but I know the downgraded (and very warm and wet) storm ran into a cold front which caused it to shed a lot of precipitation
 

Walter

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Jan 28, 2007
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I don't know about picking up any energy but I know the downgraded (and very warm and wet) storm ran into a cold front which caused it to shed a lot of precipitation
Right, that's what happened.

Erie couldn't warm up a mouse's fart.
 

IdRatherBeSkiing

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May 28, 2007
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Bullcrap. Erie isn't big enough to warm up anything. Hazel was never a hurricane in TO.

According to several articles I have read it collided with a low pressure system which gave it additional strength. It's wind speed over Toronto was 120 kph (75 MPH) which I think is exactly the cutoff for a category 1 hurricane. But it was the rain that did the damage here not the wind.

I agree with your earlier assessment. It is clearly the result of climate change. No doubt the fault of Stephen Harper.
 

10larry

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Apr 6, 2010
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I was in camp borden when hazel blew through and I never saw it rain so hard and have not since, driving south was risky but some tried only to get trapped part way. This storm that prompted the nick for mississaugas recently retired mayor was truly fitting as neither let pesky obstacles get in their way. Hazel at 95 is still going strong while her namesake is near forgotten.