Canada's Top 10 Natural Disasters

TOP'TEN DEADLIEST NATURAL DISASTERS Brought to you by DKI CANADA ADKI OF CANADA 1. NEWFOUNDLAND HURRICANE OF 1775 Also known as the Independence Humicane, the Newfoundland Humicane of 1775 created a large LOCATION: NEW FOUNDLAND stom surge which caused the sea to rise 10 meters. Of the 4000 people who died in the stom, a large amount was sailors from Ireland and Britain. ill. YEAR APPROX: 1775 It is thought that more than 200 fishing boats, along with their crews, were lost to the stom. As the stom came on suddenly with no waming, the sailors were unable to get to safety before the stom hit. DEATH TOLL: 4000 After the stom abated, the beaches were strewn with the bodies of the sailors who died at sea; and for many years after, bones from those who died as a result of the stom continued to wash ashore. FISHING BOATS LOST: 200+ Sources: http://www.thetelegram.com/News/Local/2010-10-02/article- 1815597/The-forgotten-storm/1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newfoundland_Hurricane_of_1775 2. TSEAX CONE ERUPTION One of the earliest known Canadian natural disas- ters, the Tseax Cone Eruption is thought to have occurred around 1750 - 1775. Legends of the LOCATION: BRITISH COLUMBIA native Nisga'a people tell of a period of prolonged eruption that destroyed two Nisga'a villages. The legend says that while the lava flow destroyed their homes, the Nisga'a people attempted to dig pits for shelter but to no avail. il. YEAR APPROX: 1750 Approximately 2,000 Nisga'a people perished due to volcanic gases and poisonous smoke emitted by the erupting volcano. DEATH TOLL: 2000 Sources: http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/tseax_cone.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tseax_Cone 3. GREAT LABRADOR GALE OF 1885 Noted for its extreme stoms, the Labrador Coast experienced one of the worst in October 1885. At LOCATION: NEW FOUNDLAND the time the stom broke, the entire Newfoundland fishing fleet, consisting of upwards of 2000 ships, were at sea. ill. YEAR APPROX: Also the save vear Marty went back to the future 1885 While some of the ships broke ahead of the stom and were able to miss the worst of it, some remained where they were and still others attempted to take shelter from the stom in harbours by the coast. The stom took the lives of 300 sailors and some of the ships at sea were never seen again. DEATH TOLL: 300 GALE FORCE The Beaver The Great Labraddr Gale, 885 WINDS CAN EXCEED: 55-63 MPH Laimder ori ited ta tur d the nt on er the whe pela d the t uts Bay and the udiag eniQuer AL Da stea d y wher e vin pny w and orwet chpped nd de e t, and f he pr s Sources: iated ae t hare ched n wppingd ther pert AN http://resource.canadashistory.ca/media/pdf/12-2-932-Sep-p sa he id s of Lader a td The that th r 80-84.pdf 4. GREAT LAKES STORM OF 1913 The Great Lakes Storm of 1913, a blizzard with humicane-force winds, is one of the most deadly LOCATION: ONTARIO and most destructive natural disasters to ever strike the Great Lakes. The stom battered the Great Lakes area over a period of 4 days, killing more than 250 people, destroying 19 ships and stranding another 19. ali. YEAR APPROX: 1913 The stom generated wind gusts of 145 km/hr, created white-out blizzard conditions and waves over 11 meters high. While the stom was devastating, analysis of the stom led to better forecasting and improved responses to stom wamings. DEATH TOLL: 250 11 METERS HIGH 36 The Detrolt News DEATH TOTAL ON LAKES MAYBE273 WILSON READY TO AID REBELS ONSS LATIT NTE INTORT OF GLAT LA T FEET NEW REPORTS COME Sources: http://www.newsinhistory.com/blog/1913-great-lakes-storm-kil Is-over-250-destroys-19-ships http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great Lakes Storm_of_1913 5. NOVA SCOTIA HURRICANE OF 1873 The Nova Scotia Humricane of 1873 struck during August of that year and quickly became one of Nova Scotia's worst humicanes. The stom destroyed 1200 ships and 900 buildings in Nova Scotia while killing at least 223 people. LOCATION: NOVA SCOTIA al. YEAR APPROX: 1873 The death toll has been disputed as The Monthly Weather Review, which is published by the American Meteorologi- cal Society, set the death toll at 223 while the New York Times set the death toll at 600 people. During this humi- Disputed! cane, between Cape May, New Jersey, and New London, Connecticut, the first ever humicane waming was issued. DEATH TOLL: 223 DESTROYED 1200 Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1873 Atlantic_hurricane_season# cite_note-toll-5 http://usnris.jewlib.www.jewlib.freebase.com/m/09619f BUILDINGS 900 DESTROYED: 6. MATHESON FIRE The Matheson Fire occured in July 1916 and was LOCATION: ONTARIO the worst forest fire in Canadian history in temms of lives lost. There had been several small fires started by settlers to clear brush and soon the hot, dry weather and high winds caused the fires to converge into one massive fire that eventually bumed over 2,000 square kilometers and destroyed the towns of Porquis Junction, Iroquois Falls, Kelso, Nushka, Matheson, and Ramore. ill. YEAR APPROX: 1916 Because there had been fires buming for several weeks and smoke had covered the area during this time, the residents had little waming that the fire was upon them. Many people escaped the blaze by wading into the nearby Black River and small lakes while others were able to escape by train. While the official death toll stands at 223 people the actual number of deaths will likely never be known. This fire was the catalyst for the creation of the Forest Protec- DEATH TOLL: 223 tion Branch in December 1916 as well as the Forest Fires Prevention Act in 1917. 2000KM? BURNED THE GREAT FIRE OF 1916 THATS ABOUT 22,000 FOOTBALL FIELDS July 1916 Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1873_Atlantic_hurricane_season# cite_note-toll-5 http://usnris.jewlib.www.jewlib.freebase.com/m/09619f 7. MIRAMICHI FIRE The Miramichi Fire was a massive forest fire that occurred in October 1825 and ravaged the northem New Brunswick area. The worst of the devastation took place in Newcastle, New Brunswick. In less than 3 hours, the entire town of 1,000 people was destroyed and only 12 of 260 buildings were left standing. LOCATION: NEW BRUNSWICK ill. YEAR APPROX: 1825 The fire bumed so quickly that 16,000 square kilometers bumed in 8 hours. Many people attempted to find protec- tion in the Miramichi River with their livestock. Although the official death toll is 160, it is thought that many more drowned in the river while trying to survive the blaze. While the exact cause of the fire is not known, it is thought DEATH TOLL: 160 to be the result of a very hot and dry summer and fall and several outdoor fires by settlers and loggers. 16,000KM BURNED IN 8 HOURS Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1873_Atlantic_hurricane_season#cite_note-toll-5 http://usnris.jewlib.www.jewlib.freebase.com/m/09619f 8. HURRICANE HAZEL Humricane Hazel was the most deadly and the most LOCATION: * TORONTO, ON costly stom of the 1954 Atlantic humicane season. After striking Haiti and then the United States, Humricane Hazel struck Toronto, Ontario, on the evening of October 15, 1954. Toronto was not prepared for the stom as they had no previous experience with humicanes and this only made the situation worse. ali. YEAR APPROX: 1954 In the weeks before the stom, Toronto had received a large amount of rain so when the stom hit, the ground was already fairly saturated, The rain from Hazel had nowhere to go but the rivers which caused the rivers to rise dramatically and flood the areas near the rivers. Homes were washed away down the river and as many as 50 bridges were washed out. Hazel killed 81 people in Canada after already killing 95 people in the U. S. and as DEATH TOLL: "80 many as 1,000 people in Haiti. *CANADA ONLY 50 BRIDGESs TROYED Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Hazel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_Hurricane_Hazel_in_Canada 9. GREAT PORCUPINE FIRE The Great Porcupine Fire struck the community of Porcupine in Timmins, Ontario in July 1911. While LOCATION: TIMMINS, ON the Porcupine Gold Rush was at its peak, hot and dry winds stired several small bush fires into much larger flames. The fire quickly engulfed the dry forest and had flames shooting over 30 meters into the air. al. YEAR APPROX: 1911 Many people suffocated under the mines while others drowned while trying to seek shelter from the flames in Porcupine Lake. The official death toll is 73 but it is thought to be much higher as there were an unknown number of prospectors in the forest at the time. While the mining camps and the town were destroyed, because of the gold that had been DEATH TOLL:73 found there, the town was rebuilt in a fairly short amount of time. FLAMES SHOT 30 METERS INTO THE AIR THATS 98 FEET THATS A 6' TALL MAN The 30 Meter Flanes Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Hazel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_Hurricane_Hazel_in_Canada 10. FRANK SLIDE The Frank Slide is a rockslide that occurred in April 1903 in the town of Frank in what is now Alberta. In LOCATION: ALBERTA the early moming hours of April 29, 82 million tons of limestone slid down the face of Turtle Mountain in only 90 seconds demolishing the eastem edge of the town, the Canadian Pacific Railway line that ran through the town, and the coal mine under the mountain. il. YEAR APPROX: 1903 The slide is thought to have been caused by water in fissures in the mountain repeatedly freezing and thawing, weakening the already unstable mountainside. Though the death toll is thought to be between 70 and 90 people, the exact number is not known as there may have been as many as 50 transients camped at the base of the moun- tain. 12 bodies were able to be recovered directly following the DEATH TOLL:70 - 90 slide, and 6 were recovered in 1924. The remaining bodies were never recovered and remain buried beneath the slide. THE WEIGHT OF: 14 GREAT PYRAMIDS OF GIZA 82 Million Tons slid Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Slide http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/featured/frank-slide FFFFFFFFFEEE "|"T"TT"T"T"|