Hurricane Hazel - October 15, 1954

Overview

Hazel was first spotted east of the Windward Islands on October 5, 1954. It moved through the islands later that day as a hurricane, then it moved westward over the southern Caribbean Sea through October 8. A slow turn to the north-northeast occurred from October 9-12, with Hazel crossing western Haiti as a hurricane on the 12th. The hurricane turned northward and crossed the southeastern Bahamas on the 13th, followed by a northwestward turn on the 14th. Hazel turned north and accelerated on October 15, making landfall as a Category 4 hurricane near the North Carolina-South Carolina border. Subsequent rapid motion over the next 12 hours took the storm from the coast across the eastern United States into southeastern Canada as it became extratropical. High winds occurred over large portions of the eastern United States. Myrtle Beach, SC reported a peak wind gust of 106 mph and winds were estimated at 130 to 150 mph along the coast between Myrtle Beach and Cape Fear, NC. Washington, DC even reported 78 mph sustained winds and peak gusts of over 90 mph occurred as far north as inland NY. A storm surge of up to 18 feet inundated portions of the NC coast. Heavy rains of up to 11 inches occurred as far north as Toronto, Canada resulting in severe flooding. Hazel was responsible for 95 deaths and $281 million in damage in the United States, 100 deaths and $100 million in damage in Canada, and an estimated 400 to 1000 deaths in Haiti.

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Impacts

With an estimated loss of 1,200 lives and $381 million in damages, Hurricane Hazel was the deadliest and costliest storm of the 1954 hurricane season. Because of the storm's rapid movement, it traveled northward through the United States to areas that were not prepared for such an event. Besides the violent winds, much of the damage was caused by heavy rains, which in some areas fell at a rate of 12 inches in less than 24 hours. Of the estimated $281 million in damages caused by Hazel in the United States, more than half occurred in the Carolinas ($136 million in North Carolina and $38 million in South Carolina).

The storm made landfall near the North Carolina-South Carolina border as a Category 4 hurricane and brought with it an 18 foot storm surge and powerful winds. The coastlines of Horry County, South Carolina and Brunswick County, North Carolina received the brunt of Hazel's force and were subject to extreme flooding and wind damage. The official report from the Weather Bureau in Raleigh, North Carolina, stated that as a result of Hazel, "all traces of civilization on the immediate waterfront between the state line and Cape Fear were practically annihilated." Similar impacts were felt along the shoreline between Cape Fear and the Outer Banks. Damage was not limited to the coast. Because Hazel was travelling at a forward speed of 55 miles per hour, it maintained its strength as it moved inland, causing severe damage.

The damage inflicted by Hazel was made worse by the timing of the hurricane strike. Landfall coincided with the full moon of October, the highest lunar tide of the year, resulting in intensified storm surges. Surges of over 12 feet inundated a large area of coastline and reached as high as 18 feet at Calabash, North Carolina, producing severe coastal damage. The map shows the effects of Hazel’s storm surge on today’s landscape. The Sea, Lake, and Overland Surges from Hurricanes (SLOSH) model used current topography with the known parameters of the 1954 storm. Darker blues indicate greater inundation depth while lighter blues indicate less inundation.