Home safe in a hurricane – the causes and costs of hurricanes

Every season, named tropical storms run up the alphabet from A to W, because they don’t use the characters Q, U, X, Y, and Z. In 2020 – a record breaking year with 30 named storms, they ran out of letters and had to move onto the first six letters of the Greek alphabet¹. Whenever any of these named storms reach 117 km/h, they are classified as hurricanes, heaving havoc with wind and water when they make landfall.

What causes a hurricane

Hurricanes have been occurring for a long time. In fact, researchers have compiled a history of hurricanes that trace their occurrences to 5,000 years ago². Frequently starting out as a tropical wave, the powerful weather event picks up steam as it moves westward across the tropics, absorbing warm ocean water along its path. A low pressure area is formed beneath, causing more air to rush in, where it cools and forms clouds and thunderstorms. When water condenses in the clouds, they form droplets and release more heat to power the storm. These storms can be intensely powerful where “raging winds can churn out about half as much energy as the electrical generating capacity of the entire world.”³

The impact of climate change on hurricanes

Warmer water is one of the key ingredients for a hurricane, and our oceans seem to be warming. According to one U.N. report “the ocean has absorbed about 90 percent of the heat generated by rising emissions”⁴, causing the ocean to warm. Studies are beginning to show that current intense hurricane activity isn’t due to normal climate variations, and “the latest increase in the proportion of North Atlantic hurricanes undergoing rapid intensification is a bit too large to be explained by natural variability alone. This could be the beginning of detecting the impact of climate change on hurricanes.”⁵

The impact of hurricanes on Canadians

Generally, by the time hurricanes pass through the North Atlantic and make landfall in Canada, they’re considered to be in extratropical transition. Obviously, the Atlantic provinces are more vulnerable, but we can’t forget 1954’s Hurricane Hazel which “killed 81 people in Toronto, caused 4,000 people to be homeless, and cost C$137,552,400 (C$1,299,967,047 in 2018).”⁶ Like Hurricane Hazel, the hurricanes in Canada are considered extratropical or are in transition, but they still pack a devastating punch. Making international news, it was noted that 2022’s Hurricane Fiona created havoc as “parts of three provinces experienced torrential rain and winds of up to 160km/h (99mph), with trees and powerlines felled and houses washed into the sea.”⁷ In 2003, Hurricane Juan wiped out 90 percent of the mature growth of Halifax’s Point Pleasant Park. Gusting winds and flooding from extreme rainfall pack a double whammy to the ocean exposed Atlantic provinces.

The financial and human costs of hurricanes in Canada

We only have to look back to 2022’s Hurricane Fiona to get an understanding of the costs. It’s been reported that the estimated damage exceeded $800 million in insured losses⁸. One study, which factored in the costs associated with insured and uninsured losses, job and wage losses, infrastructure damage, auxiliary business losses, flight delays, medical expenses and more factors, estimated that the final bill could be between $2 and $4 billion ⁸. The human costs are even more devastating. At the time of the hurricane, three lives were lost, with one washing into the sea⁸. At the time of the storm, nearly three quarters of Nova Scotia lost power. After the storm, 284,400 homes were without power across Nova Scotia, PEI, and New Brunswick⁹…with many not getting it back till weeks later.

What you can do

Hurricanes are inevitable – every year. Though not all hurricane seasons will impact Canada, we are still quite vulnerable, especially in our Atlantic regions. However powerful these meteorological monsters can be, you can help protect your home and yourself. Check out our stories, “Home safe in a hurricane – how to minimize hurricane damage to your home” and “Home safe in a hurricane – guarding yourself upon landfall” to learn more.


 

¹ Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and the North Atlantic Names (wmo.int)

² First-Ever 5,000-Year Record of Hurricanes Compiled | Live Science

³ How do hurricanes form? (noaa.gov)

⁴ How is climate change impacting the world’s ocean | United Nations

⁵ A Force of Nature: Hurricanes in a Changing Climate - NASA Science

⁶ October 16, 1954 - Hurricane Hazel hits Toronto - The Weather Network

⁷ Hurricane Fiona: Canada hit by 'historic, extreme event' (bbc.com)

⁸ Insured Damages from Hurricane Fiona Now Over $800 Million (ibc.ca)

⁹ Fiona hits Atlantic Canada: Hundreds of thousands without power after storm rumbles north | CNN