List of Canada hurricanes


The list of Canada hurricanes is a tropical cyclone originating in the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean affecting the country of Canada. Canada is usually only hit with weak storms, due to the generally cool waters immediately offshore. However, some hurricanes can strike the area full force as the warm Gulf Stream extends fairly close to Atlantic Canada. Due to the cool waters for a great distance from the Pacific coast of Canada, there has never been a storm of any intensity to directly affect the Pacific coast. On occasion tropical systems can transition into, or be absorbed by, non-tropical systems that strongly affect western Canada, most notably by the remnants of Typhoon Freda that were absorbed by the Columbus Day Storm of 1962.
According to the Canadian Hurricane Centre, Hurricane Ella of 1978 is the strongest tropical cyclone in Canadian waters, passing approximately 335 miles south of Halifax, Nova Scotia as a Category 4 hurricane. Despite this however, Ella did not make landfall. The strongest hurricane to make landfall in Canada was Hurricane Ginny of 1963, which had winds of 110 mph, making it a strong Category 2 hurricane at the time of its landfall near Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.
Sometimes, a hurricane will make landfall in the United States and continue northward to dissipate over Canada. Only a handful of storms that have taken this path were devastating in Canada. Two examples of this include the 1900 Galveston hurricane and Hurricane Hazel in 1954.
Many extratropical remnants of tropical cyclones have entered Canada. They are not included in this list unless they were particularly notable. Storms that have entered Canada from the U.S. after landfall are omitted from these lists, exceptions being devastating, or notable cyclones.
This article includes hurricanes that affected Newfoundland prior to its entry into Canada in 1949, and hurricanes that affected any Canadian provinces before confederation in 1867.

List of tropical cyclones

These cyclones have either made a direct landfall in Canada, or made a notable close approach as a tropical cyclone.

Pre 1900

Many tropical storms and hurricanes struck Canada during this time. The most damaging one struck Newfoundland in September 1775, killing thousands. To shorten this particular list, insignificant tropical storms and depressions are omitted.
In this list, tropical storms are included but extratropical remnants are not unless they were notable.
All landfalling tropical systems are included in the following list. Storms that transited from the U.S. to Canada overland are excluded unless notable. Extratropical storms are also excluded unless notable.