View source for Hurricane Hazel

{{Short description|Category 4 Atlantic hurricane in 1954}}
{{About|the Atlantic hurricane of 1954|other storms with the same name|List of storms named Hazel|the Canadian politician nicknamed "Hurricane Hazel"|Hazel McCallion}}
{{Featured article}}
{{Missing information|U.S. Congress hearing regarding Hurricane Hazel|date=September 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Infobox weather event
| image = Hurricane Hazel weather map (enlarged), October 15, 1954 (632228990).jpg
| caption = [[Surface weather analysis]] of Hurricane Hazel near peak intensity and landfall in North Carolina on October 15
| formed = {{start date|1954|10|5}}
| extratropical = October 15, 1954
| dissipated = {{end date|1954|10|18}}
}}{{Infobox weather event/NWS
| winds = 115
| pressure = 938
}}{{Infobox weather event/Effects
| year = 1954
| fatalities = 592–1,192
| damage = 382000000
| areas = [[Trinidad and Tobago]], [[Lesser Antilles]], [[Northern South America]], [[Puerto Rico]], [[Leeward Antilles]], [[Jamaica]], [[Hispaniola]], [[Cuba]], [[Lucayan Archipelago]], [[East Coast of the United States]], [[Ontario]]
| refs = 
}}{{Infobox weather event/Footer
| season = [[1954 Atlantic hurricane season]]
}}

'''Hurricane Hazel''' was the deadliest, second-costliest, and most intense [[hurricane]] of the [[1954 Atlantic hurricane season]]. The storm killed at least 469&nbsp;people in [[Haiti]] before it struck the United States near the border between [[North Carolina|North]] and [[South Carolina]] as a [[Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale#Category 4|Category 4 hurricane]]. After causing 95&nbsp;fatalities in the US, Hazel struck Canada as an [[extratropical]] storm, which raised the death toll by 81&nbsp;people, mostly in [[Toronto]]. As a result of the high death toll and the damage caused by Hazel, its name was [[list of retired Atlantic hurricane names|retired]] from use for [[North Atlantic tropical cyclone|North Atlantic hurricanes]].

In Haiti, Hazel destroyed 40 percent of the coffee trees and 50 percent of the cacao crop, which affected the economy for several years. The hurricane made landfall near [[Calabash, North Carolina]], and destroyed most waterfront dwellings. It then traveled north along the [[East Coast of the United States|Atlantic coast]]. Hazel affected [[Virginia]]; [[Washington, D.C.]]; [[West Virginia]]; [[Maryland]]; [[Delaware]]; [[New Jersey]]; [[Pennsylvania]]; and [[New York (state)|New York]]. It brought gusts near {{convert|100|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} and caused $281&nbsp;million (1954 [[USD]]) in damage. When it was over Pennsylvania, Hazel consolidated with a cold front and turned northwest towards Canada. When it hit [[Ontario]] as an extratropical storm, rivers and streams in and around Toronto overflowed their banks, which caused severe flooding. As a result, many residential areas in the local floodplains, such as the [[Raymore Drive]] area, were subsequently converted to parkland. In Canada alone, over [[Canadian dollar|C$]]135&nbsp;million ({{Inflation-year|CA}}: C${{Inflation|CA|0.135|1954|r=1}}&nbsp;billion) of damage was incurred.

The effects of Hazel were particularly unprecedented in Toronto because of a combination of heavy rainfall during the preceding weeks, a lack of experience in dealing with hurricanes, and the storm's unexpected retention of power despite traveling {{convert|1100|km|mi|abbr=on}} over land. The storm stalled over the Toronto area, and although it was now extratropical, it remained as powerful as a Category&nbsp;1 hurricane. To help with the cleanup, 800&nbsp;members of the military were summoned, and a Hurricane Relief Fund was established that distributed $5.1&nbsp;million ({{Inflation-year|US}}: ${{Inflation|US|5.1|1954|r=1}}&nbsp;million) in aid.

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==Meteorological history==
{{Storm path|Hazel 1954 path.png|colors=new}}
On October&nbsp;5, a [[tropical wave]] with tropical-storm force winds was approaching the [[Lesser Antilles]]. Due to the potential for [[tropical cyclogenesis|tropical storm formation]], a [[Hurricane Hunters]] plane flew from [[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]], [[Puerto Rico]], to investigate the system.<ref>{{cite news|title=Plane to check easterly wave|agency=Associated Press|date=1954-10-05|newspaper=The Kingston Daily Freeman|location=Kingston, New York|access-date=2015-09-21|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=71XFh8zZwT8C&dat=19541005&printsec=frontpage&hl=en}}</ref> When the plane reached the system, they observed a [[tropical cyclone]] about {{convert|30|mi|km|abbr=on}} east of the island of [[Grenada]] with winds estimated at {{convert|100|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}. The [[National Weather Service|United States Weather Bureau]] promptly classified the system as Hurricane Hazel.<ref>{{cite news|agency=Associated Press|location=Pottstown, Pennsylvania|title=New hurricane poses threat to Puerto Rico|newspaper=Pottstown Mercury|date=1954-10-05|access-date=2015-09-21|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/48381522/?terms=easterly%2Bwave|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181005072054/https://www.newspapers.com/image/48381522/?terms=easterly%2Bwave|archive-date=October 5, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Atlantic hurricane reanalysis]] later assessed that Hazel developed at 06:00&nbsp;UTC on October&nbsp;5 about {{convert|220|mi|km|abbr=on}} east of Grenada. Although the Hurricane Hunters observed hurricane-force winds, the storm had a small [[eye (cyclone)|eye]] {{convert|5|mi|km|0|abbr=on}} in diameter and a central [[atmospheric pressure|barometric pressure]] of {{convert|1002|mbar|inHg|abbr=on}}. The {{convert|100|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} winds were therefore revised downward to {{convert|65|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} late on October&nbsp;5, though it was estimated that the storm attained hurricane status at 00:00&nbsp;UTC on October&nbsp;6. At the same time, Hazel made [[landfall]] on Grenada with winds of {{convert|75|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref name="meta">{{cite report|author=Chris Landsea |date=May 2015 |title=Documentation of Atlantic Tropical Cyclones Changes in HURDAT (1954) |publisher=Hurricane Research Division |access-date=2015-09-21 |url=http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/metadata_master.html#1954_14 |display-authors=etal |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604063810/http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/metadata_master.html |archive-date=June 4, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

After entering the [[Caribbean Sea]], Hazel continued to present a small eye and wind diameter. The winds gradually increased as the storm moved westward, parallel to the northern coast of Venezuela. On October&nbsp;8, the tiny eye increased to a diameter of {{convert|29|mi|km|abbr=on}}, while the winds reached {{convert|85|mph|km/h|abbr=on}},<ref name="meta"/> although winds were estimated as high as {{convert|125|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}. That day, the Hurricane Hunters encountered severe turbulence, which hospitalized one crew member and injured another.<ref name="mwr" /> For the next five days, there were no further flights into the core of the hurricane; However, the planes continued to monitor the storm, with radar imagery indicating that the eye became open and ragged. Late on October&nbsp;9, it is estimated Hazel intensified into a major hurricane with winds of {{convert|115|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}. Originally, it was estimated that Hazel attained these winds the day prior. The intensification was confirmed on October&nbsp;10, when aircraft noted a well-defined eye on radar imagery.<ref name="meta"/>

[[File:Hurricane Hazel weather map, October 11, 1954 (427669).jpg|thumb|[[Surface weather analysis|Surface weather map]] showing Hurricane Hazel approaching [[Haiti]] on October 11]]

On October&nbsp;10, Hazel slowed in the central Caribbean and turned sharply to the north-northeast toward [[Hispaniola]],<ref name="meta"/> steered by an [[cold-core low|upper-level low]].<ref name="ncnws">{{cite web|url=http://www4.ncsu.edu/~nwsfo/storage/cases/19541015|title=Hurricane Hazel, October 1954|publisher=Raleigh, North Carolina National Weather Service|access-date=2009-06-13|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121201044707/http://www4.ncsu.edu/~nwsfo/storage/cases/19541015/|archive-date=December 1, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref> At 09:00&nbsp;UTC on October&nbsp;12, the hurricane made landfall near [[Chardonnières]] along the [[Tiburon Peninsula (Haiti)|Tiburon Peninsula]] of [[Haiti]] as a Category 3 hurricane on the [[Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale]]. There were no strong wind readings at landfall, but based on previous radar and aircraft observations the sustained winds were officially estimated at {{convert|120|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}. After moving through the [[Gulf of Gonâve]], Hazel struck northwestern Haiti near [[Baie-de-Henne]] at 00:00&nbsp;UTC on October&nbsp;13, as a Category 2 hurricane with winds estimated at {{convert|100|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref name="meta"/> Around that time, the hurricane curved more to the north and northwest due to an approaching [[trough (meteorology)|trough]],<ref name="siec"/> and the Hurricane Hunters resumed entering the center of Hazel, reporting an eye and hurricane force winds. At 14:00&nbsp;UTC on October&nbsp;13, Hazel struck [[Inagua]] in the Bahamas with winds of {{convert|100|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref name="meta"/>

After affecting the Bahamas, Hazel accelerated northwest toward the southeastern United States,<ref name="meta"/> steered between a trough and a ridge.<ref name="siec">{{cite web|author=Peter Bowyer|year=2004|access-date=2009-06-17|publisher=[[Canadian Hurricane Centre]]|url=http://www.ec.gc.ca/ouragans-hurricanes/default.asp?lang=En&n=5C4829A9-1|title=Storm information|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715064632/http://www.ec.gc.ca/ouragans-hurricanes/default.asp?lang=En&n=5C4829A9-1|archive-date=July 15, 2014|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Hurricanes are generally expected to lose power after going north of Florida due to lower water temperatures. However, Hazel restrengthened as it tracked northward over the [[Gulf Stream]].<ref name="natgeo2">{{cite news|url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/10/1014_041014_hurricane_hazel_2.html|title=Worst Hurricane in North Carolina: 50 Years Later|work=National Geographic|date=2004-10-14|access-date=2009-06-13|author=Willie Drye|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090507183304/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/10/1014_041014_hurricane_hazel_2.html|archive-date=May 7, 2009|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The Hurricane Hunters were unable to observe the core of the storm until it neared land, reporting an eye {{convert|18|mi|km|abbr=on}} in diameter on October&nbsp;15. Later that day, a ship just off South Carolina reported a central pressure of {{convert|938|mbar|inHg|abbr=on}}, which was the lowest in association with the hurricane. At 15:30&nbsp;UTC on October&nbsp;15, Hazel made landfall just west of the North Carolina/South Carolina border with a {{convert|40|mi|km|abbr=on}} eye, slightly northeast of [[Myrtle Beach, South Carolina|Myrtle Beach]] in the latter state. Based on the pressure, a larger than average size, and the fast forward movement, the landfall intensity was estimated at {{convert|130|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}, or a Category&nbsp;4 on the [[Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale|Saffir-Simpson scale]].<ref name="meta"/>

The eye of Hazel was tracked across several towns in North Carolina as the system continued northward. At 18:00&nbsp;UTC on October&nbsp;15, the hurricane became [[extratropical]] near [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]], and within six hours had passed near Washington, D.C. Its extratropical remnants accelerated to the north through Pennsylvania and New York along an extended [[cold front]]. Despite widespread observations across the eastern United States, there continues to be uncertainty in the track of Hazel as an extratropical storm. The Canadian weather service maintains that the original circulation dissipated over western Pennsylvania and a new one formed over western New York.<ref name="siec"/> In contrast, the U.S. Hurricane Research Division later assessed the circulation as becoming elongated but continuous. On October&nbsp;16, the storm crossed into [[Ontario]] and over the Toronto region.<ref name="meta"/> Shortly thereafter, the former Hurricane Hazel dropped to gale-force winds after moving almost {{convert|1000|km|mi|abbr=on}} over land.<ref name="meta"/><ref name="siec"/> The storm slowed and turned northward, passing over [[James Bay]] early on October&nbsp;17. After turning to the northeast, into what is today known as the [[Kativik]] region of extreme northern Quebec, the remnants of Hazel were absorbed by a larger extratropical storm over Canada on October&nbsp;18.<ref name="siec"/>
<!--

<ref name="miami5">{{cite news|title=Hazel Packs 100-mi Winds in the Caribbean|access-date=2010-03-15|author=Milt Sosin|date=1954-10-05|work=The Miami News|url= https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=71XFh8zZwT8C&dat=19541005&printsec=frontpage|page=1}}</ref> 
<ref name="miami10">{{cite news|access-date=2010-03-15|title=Hazel Changes Course Sharply, Moves on Haiti|author=Milt Sosin|date=1954-10-11|work=The Miami News|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=71XFh8zZwT8C&dat=19541011&printsec=frontpage|page=1}}</ref> On the whole, the storm proved to be very unpredictable, defying forecasts on multiple occasions.<ref name="siec"/><ref name="natgeo2">{{cite news|url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/10/1014_041014_hurricane_hazel_2.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050715075647/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/10/1014_041014_hurricane_hazel_2.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 15, 2005|title=Worst Hurricane in North Carolina: 50 Years Later|work=National Geographic|date=2004-10-14|access-date=2009-06-13|author=Willie Drye}}</ref> 
-->

==Preparations==
On October 6, small craft warnings were issued for the Dutch islands of [[Aruba]], [[Bonaire]], and [[Curaçao]], despite predictions that Hazel would pass to the north;<ref name="miami6">{{cite news|title=Hurricane Hazel Gaining Force in Caribbean|author=Milt Sosin|date=1954-10-06|work=The Miami News|access-date=2018-10-05|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24293225/the_miami_news/|page=1|via=Newspapers.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006000612/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24293225/the_miami_news/|archive-date=October 6, 2018|url-status=live}} {{free access}}</ref> these warnings were canceled a day later.<ref name="miami7">{{cite news|title=Hurricane Hazel's Path Undetermined|author=Milt Sosin|date=1954-10-07|work=The Miami News|access-date=2018-10-05|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24293305/the_miami_news/|page=1|via=Newspapers.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006000652/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24293305/the_miami_news/|archive-date=October 6, 2018|url-status=live}} {{free access}}</ref> After the storm turned northward, tropical cyclone warnings were posted for Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the waters of the [[Mona Passage]].<ref>{{cite news|agency=Associated Press|title=Warnings Hoisted Over Haiti For Hurricane Hazel|date=October 11, 1954|newspaper=Corsicana Daily Sun|access-date=September 22, 2015|page=1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3276690/corsicana_daily_sun/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923060413/http://www.newspapers.com/clip/3276690/corsicana_daily_sun/|archive-date=September 23, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} {{free access}}</ref> Small craft near Jamaica were advised to head for port ahead of the storm.<ref>{{cite news|author=United Press International|date=October 10, 1954|title=Hurricane Hazel New Threat in Caribbean|newspaper=Medford Mail Tribute|access-date=September 22, 2015|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3276771/medford_mail_tribune/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923060543/http://www.newspapers.com/clip/3276771/medford_mail_tribune/|archive-date=September 23, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} {{free access}}</ref> The U.S. Navy completed extensive preparations at its [[Guantanamo Bay Naval Base|Guantanamo Bay base]], ordering about 1,000 civilians into hardened, fortified [[Quonset hut]]s, flying aircraft out of the storm's path, and positioning [[surface ship]]s out at sea.<ref name="cuba">{{cite news|title=Hurricane Hazel Sweeps Up Coast; Cuba Is Alerted|date=October 12, 1954|newspaper=Pittston Gazette|access-date=September 22, 2015|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3277235/pittston_gazette/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923060855/http://www.newspapers.com/clip/3277235/pittston_gazette/|archive-date=September 23, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} {{free access}}</ref>

On October 14, the United States Weather Bureau issued a warning for the [[Carolinas]], with the caveat that the worst of the hurricane was expected to stay offshore. Instead, the storm took a sharp northwest turn and headed toward land.<ref name="st169">Stokes, p. 169</ref> By evening of the same day, the storm was forecast to make landfall near the Carolinas border.<ref name="st169"/> Further forecasts expected Hazel to lose its power and dissipate over the [[Allegheny Mountains]].<ref name="siec"/>

In her book ''Hurricane Hazel'', Canadian journalist [[Betty Kennedy]] argued that in Canada, the impressions that Hazel was "the best-kept secret in town" and that it was a "fully documented meteorological event that should have taken nobody by surprise" both "paradoxically [...] contain a great deal of truth".<ref>Kennedy, p. 36</ref> Meteorologists predicted that if Hazel merged with the cold front, the storm would not lose intensity, but would instead potentially strengthen. Two Special Weather Bulletins were issued by the Dominion Weather Office, but since it was expected that the storm would pass east of [[Toronto]], few other warnings were given and there were no evacuations, which increased the eventual property damage and loss of life.<ref name="siec"/> The forecast called for high winds between {{convert|65|and|80|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}, with only occasional showers. On lakes [[Lake Erie|Erie]] and [[Lake Ontario|Ontario]], ships received warnings of strong winds, and the predicted wind speeds ranged from {{convert|65|to|120|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}.<ref name="siec"/> [[Toronto Hydro]] called in standby crews as heavy winds were forecast, although they were almost sent home at one point due to a lull in the storm.<ref name="tlec">{{cite web|author=Peter Bowyer|year=2004|access-date=2009-06-17|publisher=Canadian Hurricane Centre|url=http://www.ec.gc.ca/ouragans-hurricanes/default.asp?lang=En&n=A69C257B-1|title=Timeline of storm events|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140710114541/http://www.ec.gc.ca/ouragans-hurricanes/default.asp?lang=En&n=A69C257B-1|archive-date=July 10, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

There was significant rainfall in the Toronto area in the two weeks prior to Hazel, so the ground was already saturated. Few people in Canada had any experience with hurricanes, since it was unheard of for them to travel as far north and inland as Toronto.<ref name="fi192">Filey, p. 192</ref> Kennedy also notes that if "Toronto had been about to face a blizzard, or was threatened by a 14-inch [36-cm] snowfall, ''that'' [sic] would have been something understandable. [...] This was different. This was the unknown, the unfamiliar, the totally unexpected crisis. Hurricanes belonged in the tropics."<ref>Kennedy, p. 44</ref>

==Impact==
{|class="wikitable" style="float:right;margin:0 0 0.5em 1em"
|+Deaths and damage by region
|-
!Region
!Deaths
!Damage
!Sources
|-
| [[ABC islands (Lesser Antilles)|ABC islands]] || 0 || {{ntsp|350000||$}} ||
|-
| Grenada || 0 || {{ntsp|80000||$}} ||<ref>{{Google books |id=JqAChW2hMRkC |title=Report on Grenada }}</ref>
|-
| Haiti || 400–1,000 || {{ntsp|500000||$}} ||<ref name="Bob Burtt B.1">{{cite news|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/724028821.html?dids=724028821:724028821&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+16%2C+2004&author=BOB+BURTT&pub=The+Record&desc=Hazel%27s+lessons+learned&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130131230010/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/724028821.html?dids=724028821:724028821&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+16,+2004&author=BOB+BURTT&pub=The+Record&desc=Hazel's+lessons+learned&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 31, 2013|page=B.1|author=Bob Burtt|title=Hazel's Lessons Learned|date=2004-10-26|work=The Record|access-date=2010-04-03}}</ref>
|-
| Puerto Rico || 9 || {{N/A}} ||
|-
| Cuba || 1 || {{N/A}} ||
|-
| Bahamas || 6 || {{N/A}} ||
|-
| United States || 95 || {{ntsp|281000000||$}} ||<ref name="1983 Deadly">{{cite report|author3=National Hurricane Center |author=Hebert, Paul J |author2=Taylor, Glenn |archive-date=September 24, 2012 |url-status=live |date=January 1983 |title=The Deadliest, Costliest, and Most Intense United States Hurricanes of This Century (and Other Frequently Requested Hurricane Facts) |type=NOAA Technical Memorandum NWS TPC-18 |access-date=April 26, 2014 |url=http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/general/lib/lib1/nhclib/nwstechmemos/techmemo18.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120924061413/http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/general/lib/lib1/nhclib/nwstechmemos/techmemo18.pdf |publisher=United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service |page=5 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
|-
| Canada || 81 || {{ntsp|100000000||$}} ||<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www4.ncsu.edu/~nwsfo/storage/cases/19541015 |author=National Weather Service Forecast Office in Raleigh North Carolina |title=Event summary, Hurricane Hazel, October 1954 |publisher=United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date=April 26, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121201044707/http://www4.ncsu.edu/~nwsfo/storage/cases/19541015/ |archive-date=December 1, 2012 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
|-
! Total || 592–1,192 || {{ntsp|381930000||$}}
|}

===Caribbean===
On October 8, two crew members on reconnaissance aircraft were injured due to turbulence while observing Hazel; one requiring hospitalization.<ref name="NOAA2"/> The [[ABC islands (Lesser Antilles)|ABC Islands]] of [[Aruba]], [[Bonaire]] and [[Curaçao]], located north of [[Venezuela]], received rough winds and rains of up to {{convert|9.8|in|mm}} when the intensifying cyclone passed to the north. Flash flooding in Aruba and Curaçao destroyed a bridge and several water dams and resulted in losses of $350,000 (1954 USD).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.meteo.an/include/Pub/documents/HurricanesandTropicalStorms.pdf|title=Hurricanes and Tropical Storms in the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba|publisher=Meteorological Service Netherlands Antilles and Aruba|year=2010|access-date=2011-11-08|pages=18, 29|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425021254/http://www.meteo.an/include/Pub/documents/HurricanesandTropicalStorms.pdf|archive-date=April 25, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref> [[Puerto Rico]] suffered its worst flooding since 1899 as a result of the hurricane. Due to timely warnings, only nine people were killed (eight by drowning and one by a landslide), but infrastructure, buildings, and agricultural areas suffered serious damage, and over 11,000 people were evacuated from flooded areas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/082/mwr-082-10-0301.pdf|title=Severe floods of October 12–15, 1954 in Puerto Rico|publisher=NOAA|access-date=2009-06-14|date=October 1954|author=Ralph L. Higgs|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120917044909/http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/082/mwr-082-10-0301.pdf|archive-date=September 17, 2012|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In Haiti, Hazel brought flash floods which destroyed numerous villages, and high winds which caused considerable damage to major cities. The death toll was estimated to be as high as 1,000&nbsp;people; most of the casualties drowned when the water flowed in a flood down the mountains, some of which were as high as {{convert|2400|m|ft|abbr=on|sigfig=1}}. The situation was exacerbated by deforestation, which lessened the ability of the soil to hold water. Haiti's South Peninsula took the brunt of the storm: the largest town, [[Aux Cayes]], reported at least 200 casualties, while the second-largest town of [[Jérémie]] was reported to have been swept into the sea, with at least 200 more casualties.<ref name="miami13">{{cite news|title=Speed Regained, AF Base Periled|author=Milt Sosin|date=1954-10-13|work=The Miami News|access-date=2018-10-04|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24292867/the_miami_news/|page=1|via=Newspaper.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006000334/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24292867/the_miami_news/|archive-date=October 6, 2018|url-status=live}} {{free access}}</ref> Damage in Aux Cayes was estimated to be $500,000 (1954 USD).<ref name="beaver13">{{cite news|title=Hurricane Hazel Kills 200|agency=UPI|date=1954-10-13|work=Beaver Valley Times|access-date=2010-03-15|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=PRLG7g5oK-wC&dat=19541013&printsec=frontpage|page=1}}</ref> Estimates of people left homeless in the wake of Hazel are as high as 100,000.<ref name="Bob Burtt B.1"/> Hazel destroyed about 40 percent of the coffee trees and 50 percent of the cacao crop, affecting the country's economy for several years.<ref>Rotberg and Clague, p. 182</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=|first=|date=1955-01-05|title=Hurricane Dents Economy of Haiti|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1955/01/05/archives/hurricane-dents-economy-of-haiti-crop-destruction-to-be-felt-for.html|url-status=live|access-date=2009-06-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180722192116/https://www.nytimes.com/1955/01/05/archives/hurricane-dents-economy-of-haiti-crop-destruction-to-be-felt-for.html|archive-date=July 22, 2018|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Objects from Haiti, such as bowls, were reported to have been transported by the hurricane to the Carolinian coast.<ref name="cent22">Gifford, p. 22</ref>

West of Haiti, the hurricane brought hurricane-force winds to Cuba.<ref name="meta"/> A fisherman on the eastern tip of Cuba was killed by rough seas while trying to secure his boats.<ref name="cuba"/> Since the hurricane passed largely east of the Bahamas, only minor damage was reported there. Hazel passed directly over [[Inagua]], where it claimed six lives when a sailboat capsized while taking shelter from the storm.<ref name="NOAA2">{{cite web|url=http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/easy_1951-60.htm|title=Hurricane of 1954|date=December 1954|access-date=2010-04-03|publisher=NOAA|author=Walter R. Davis|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130904000250/http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/easy_1951-60.htm|archive-date=September 4, 2013|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

===United States===
In South Carolina, the storm produced {{convert|10|-|11|ft|m|abbr=on}} tides along the coast.<ref name="nwssc">{{cite web|url=http://www.weather.gov/images/ilm/HurricaneHazel/ImpactsSC.jpg|title=South Carolina Impacts from Hurricane Hazel|date=2014-10-15|work=National Weather Service Office Wilmington, North Carolina|publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|access-date=2015-09-23|location=Wilmington, North Carolina|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150913171802/http://www.weather.gov/images/ilm/HurricaneHazel/ImpactsSC.jpg|archive-date=September 13, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Hundreds of buildings were destroyed, including about 80 percent of waterfront dwellings in [[Myrtle Beach, South Carolina|Myrtle Beach]]. As a result of the high storm surge, the low-lying sandy barrier islands were completely flooded.<ref>Hairr, p. 134</ref> Two piers in Myrtle Beach were damaged. In [[North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina|North Myrtle Beach]], a three-story hotel and an {{convert|800|ft|m|abbr=on}} pier were washed out to sea. At [[Cherry Grove Beach, South Carolina|Cherry Grove Beach]], 75&nbsp;residences were demolished, while at [[Pawleys Island, South Carolina|Pawleys Island]], 40&nbsp;homes were destroyed, while numerous others were damaged. One death occurred in South Carolina. Damage in the state totaled about $27&nbsp;million.<ref name="nwssc"/>

[[File:Storm Surge in Morehead City during Hazel.jpg|thumb|Storm surge in [[Morehead City, North Carolina]], during Hazel]]

At landfall, the hurricane brought a [[storm surge]] of over {{convert|5.5|m|ft|abbr=on}} to a large area of coastline, producing severe coastal damage; the damage was greater since the hurricane coincided with the highest lunar tide of the year.<ref name="noaanc">{{cite web|url=http://www.csc.noaa.gov/products/nchaz/htm/hazel.htm |title=Hurricane Hazel |work=Coastal Service Center |publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |access-date=2009-06-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080211185038/http://www.csc.noaa.gov/products/nchaz/htm/hazel.htm |archive-date=February 11, 2008 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> [[Brunswick County, North Carolina]], suffered the heaviest damage, where most coastal dwellings were either destroyed or severely damaged. For example, in [[Long Beach, North Carolina]], only five of the 357 buildings were left standing.<ref name="cent22" /> 

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."<ref name="nc135">Hairr, p. 135</ref> According to NOAA, "every pier in a distance of {{Convert|170|mi|disp=sqbr}} of coastline was demolished".<ref name="NOAA2" />
At the Raleigh-Durham Airport in North Carolina, gusts of {{convert|90|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} were recorded; in surrounding cities, including Kinston, Goldsboro, and Faison, wind gusts were estimated to have reached {{convert|120|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web|title=Changing skies over central North Carolina |url=http://www.erh.noaa.gov/rah/newsletter/RAHnewsletter_Aug04.pdf |publisher=National Weather Service Raleigh, North Carolina |access-date=July 27, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130826061021/http://www.erh.noaa.gov/rah/newsletter/RAHnewsletter_Aug04.pdf |archive-date=August 26, 2013 }}</ref> 
[[File:Leaning_poles_after_Hazel.webp|thumb|235x235px|Leaning telephone poles at [[Carolina Beach, North Carolina|Carolina Beach]] after Hazel]]
With such high winds state-wide, heavy damage was caused to forests, and to property as a result of falling trees. However, since the Carolinas, like the rest of the Southeastern United States, were suffering from a severe drought, the heavy rainfall brought by Hazel was welcome. In North Carolina, the most rain was received in the interior of the state: [[Robbins, North Carolina|Robbins]] received {{convert|286|mm|in|abbr=on}} of rain, and [[Carthage, North Carolina|Carthage]] received {{convert|247|mm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref name="nc135" />

Nineteen people were killed in North Carolina, with several hundred more injured; 15,000 homes were destroyed and another 39,000 were damaged.<ref name="noaanc" /> The number of people left homeless by the storm was "uncounted thousands".<ref>{{cite news|title=Carolina Beaches Ravaged by Hazel|date=1954-10-16|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9C06E6DF113FE33BBC4E52DFB667838F649EDE|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=The New York Times|page=10|access-date=2015-09-22|location=Wilmington, North Carolina|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306023836/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9C06E6DF113FE33BBC4E52DFB667838F649EDE|archive-date=March 6, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Damages in the Carolinas amounted to $163&nbsp;million, with $61&nbsp;million incurred by beachfront property.<ref name="mwr">{{cite web|author=Walter R. Davis|publisher=Weather Bureau Office|year=1955|access-date=2009-06-17|title=Hurricanes of 1954|url=http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/general/lib/lib1/nhclib/mwreviews/1954.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102193319/http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/general/lib/lib1/nhclib/mwreviews/1954.pdf|archive-date=January 2, 2014|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="ERHcase">{{cite web|author=Michael Strickler, Douglas Schneider and Jonathan Blaes|publisher=National Weather Service in Raleigh, North Carolina|year=2009|access-date=2009-06-17|title=Hurricane Hazel|url=http://www4.ncsu.edu/~nwsfo/storage/cases/19541015/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701142515/http://www4.ncsu.edu/~nwsfo/storage/cases/19541015/|archive-date=July 1, 2014|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Total damage in the United States ranged from $281&nbsp;million to $308&nbsp;million.<ref name="1983 Deadly" /><ref name="ERHcase" />

While Hazel caused the most damage in the Carolinas, the storm did not lose all of its intensity. Going north, Hazel turned extratropical by midday when it merged with a cold front; however, it retained hurricane-strength winds and it continued to drop heavy rainfall.<ref name="NOAA2" /><ref name="miami16" />

In [[Virginia]], wind gusts of over {{convert|100|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} were observed at the Weather Bureau office in [[Norfolk, Virginia|Norfolk]]. Roofs were blown off, trees and power lines were toppled, windows were shattered, and awnings were torn. The [[Naval Station Norfolk|naval station]] suffered mainly minor damage to its temporary installations.<ref name="ryan"/> The tugboat ''Indian'', carrying five barges, sank in the [[James River]]; four of the eight crew members drowned.<ref name="nwsva">{{cite web|url=http://www.weather.gov/images/ilm/HurricaneHazel/ImpactsVirginia.jpg|title=Virginia Impacts from Hurricane Hazel|date=2014-10-15|work=National Weather Service Office Wilmington, North Carolina|publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|access-date=2015-09-23|location=Wilmington, North Carolina|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150913110021/http://www.weather.gov/images/ilm/HurricaneHazel/ImpactsVirginia.jpg|archive-date=September 13, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> One building was demolished and several others were damaged in [[Portsmouth, Virginia|Portsmouth]].<ref name="ryan"/> The ferry ''Princess Anne'' was beached into the docks at [[Kiptopeke, Virginia|Kiptopeke]].<ref name="nwsva"/> An unfinished vessel at the [[Newport News Shipbuilding]] in [[Newport News, Virginia|Newport News]] broke from its moorings and was swept into the shore of the James River. The roof of the customs house was detached and landed on the street.<ref name="ryan">{{cite news|title=Norfolk Hard Hit by Edge of Storm|author=Joseph J. Ryan|date=1954-10-16|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B01E6DF113FE33BBC4E52DFB667838F649EDE|access-date=2015-09-22|location=Norfolk, Virginia|page=11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305170702/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B01E6DF113FE33BBC4E52DFB667838F649EDE|archive-date=March 5, 2016|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> In [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]], 200&nbsp;store fronts were damaged, while part of the steeple at [[Trinity Methodist Church (Richmond, Virginia)|Trinity Methodist Church]] was toppled. Additionally, a {{convert|150|ft|m|abbr=on}} [[Microwave transmission|microwave]] tower in [[Warsaw, Virginia|Warsaw]] was knocked over.<ref name="nwsva"/> Approximately 50 percent of residents in Virginia lost telephone and electrical service for six days. The storm damaged approximately 18,000&nbsp;homes and businesses. Overall, there were 12&nbsp;deaths and about $15&nbsp;million in damage.<ref name="nwsva"/>

After North Carolina, the storm went through Virginia, [[West Virginia]], [[Maryland]], [[Delaware]], [[New Jersey]], [[Pennsylvania]], and [[New York (state)|New York]]. In general, power was knocked out and trees were downed. Wind gusts throughout the area reached {{convert|160|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}.<ref name="NOAA2"/><ref name="miami16"/>

Though not near the center, a gust of {{convert|182|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} was recorded in [[Battery Park]], the highest wind speed ever recorded within the municipal boundaries of [[New York City]].<ref>[https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/triangle-sandhills/weather/2020/10/01/historical-october-hurricanes 5 October hurricanes that wreaked havoc on the U.S.], Spectrum News 1, October 1, 2020</ref>

Rain amounts were heavier on the western side of the storm. In West Virginia, the average amount of rain received was {{convert|230|mm|in|abbr=on|sigfig=1}} with localized amounts of {{convert|300|mm|in|abbr=on}} reported in the Appalachians. To the north in Pittsburgh, only {{convert|90|mm|in|abbr=on}} of rain was reported.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.erh.noaa.gov/pbz/hurricane.htm |title=Remnants of Hurricanes and Tropical Storms that have brought Rainfall to the Region |publisher=NOAA |access-date=2011-10-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927053524/http://www.erh.noaa.gov/pbz/hurricane.htm |archive-date=September 27, 2011 }}</ref>

To the east, the Washington, D.C. area was particularly affected, and considerable flooding was reported in the Virginias and Maryland. Much of the grounds of the [[United States Naval Academy|Naval Academy]] in Annapolis were flooded, putting midshipmen to work the next day to clean up the debris. New Jersey escaped major flooding as the high tide was low enough, but to the south in [[Chesapeake Bay]], the majority of crab pots were destroyed.<ref>Hairr, p. 136</ref> Hazel lost a considerable amount of moisture when crossing the Allegheny Mountains, which raised rivers and streams in the [[Pittsburgh]] area significantly above the flood mark. In Pennsylvania, the winds were still high enough to unroof several homes.<ref name="miami16"/>

In upstate New York, the storm blocked highways and railroads.<ref name="miami16">{{cite news|title=Floods Rise in Hazel's Wake|agency=Associated Press|date=1954-10-16|work=The Miami News|access-date=2018-10-04|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24292949/the_miami_news/|page=1|via=Newspapers.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006000751/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24292949/the_miami_news/|archive-date=October 6, 2018|url-status=live}} {{free access}}</ref> The {{convert|491|ft|m|adj=on|sp=us}} tower of television station [[WTVE (New York)|WTVE]] in [[Elmira, New York|Elmira]] was toppled by wind gusts; the station was off the air for 19 months.<ref name="Star541016">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107045048/elmira-recovers-from-hurricane-trees-p/|date=October 16, 1954|page=1, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107045195/ 12]|title=Elmira Recovers From Hurricane: Trees, Power Lines Felled; 491-Ft. TV Tower Toppled|newspaper=Star-Gazette|location=Elmira, New York|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=August 6, 2022|archive-date=August 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220806073612/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107045048/elmira-recovers-from-hurricane-trees/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Sat --><ref name="TVD560505">{{cite news|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-TV-Digest/50s/Television-Digest-1956-05.pdf|page=8|title=Return to air of uhf WTVE...|work=Television Digest|date=May 5, 1956|via=world Radio History|access-date=August 6, 2022|archive-date=October 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211011220245/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-TV-Digest/50s/Television-Digest-1956-05.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Canada===
{{Main|Effects of Hurricane Hazel in Canada}}
{{Deadliest Canada hurricanes}}
After weeks of unusually high rainfall saturated the [[Greater Toronto Area]], Hazel dropped additional rainfall, peaking at {{convert|214|mm|in|abbr=on|order=flip}} in [[Snelgrove, Ontario]]. In three hours, the city received {{convert|90|mm|in|abbr=on|order=flip}} of precipitation. Most of these rains ran off into rivers and creeks of Toronto, which raised water levels by as much as {{convert|6|–|8|m|ft|abbr=on|order=flip}}.<ref name="siec"/><ref name="fi192"/> Not built to withstand heavy flooding, Toronto's infrastructure took a heavy hit: over 50&nbsp;bridges, many parts of important highways, as well as numerous roads and railways were destroyed when the high water washed them out or carried debris and smashed them.<ref name="trans">{{cite web|author=Peter Bowyer|year=2004|access-date=2009-06-17|publisher=Canadian Hurricane Centre|url=http://www.ec.gc.ca/ouragans-hurricanes/default.asp?lang=en&n=FE4D3A3F-1|title=Impacts&nbsp;– Transportation|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140710114735/http://www.ec.gc.ca/ouragans-hurricanes/default.asp?lang=En&n=FE4D3A3F-1|archive-date=July 10, 2014|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="impec">{{cite web|author=Peter Bowyer|year=2004|access-date=2009-06-17|publisher=Canadian Hurricane Centre|url=http://www.ec.gc.ca/ouragans-hurricanes/default.asp?lang=En&n=FE71002F-1|title=Impacts|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140710114645/http://www.ec.gc.ca/ouragans-hurricanes/default.asp?lang=En&n=FE71002F-1|archive-date=July 10, 2014|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

[[File:Hurricane Hazel -- Weston Golf Club.jpg|thumb|The [[Weston Golf and Country Club|Weston Golf Club]] in Toronto was left submerged after the [[Humber River (Ontario)|Humber River]] overflowed its banks.|alt=A generally flat area is completely submerged by water; trees are scattered throughout.]]

Floodwaters slowly rose in the [[Holland Marsh]] – a bowl-shaped valley near [[Bradford, Ontario|Bradford]] – allowing people to escape to the town.<ref>Kennedy, p. 101</ref> [[Ontario Highway 400|Highway 400]], which passes through the marsh, was under as much as {{convert|3|m|ft|abbr=on|sigfig=1|order=flip}} of water in some places when as much {{convert|6|m|ft|abbr=on|sigfig=1}} of water backed up. Much of the crops in the area were either swept away or ruined.<ref>Kennedy, p. 103</ref> After the water pumps failed due to debris, better equipment allowed the Holland Marsh to be drained by November 13.<ref>Kennedy, p. 105</ref> The [[Humber River (Ontario)|Humber River]] in the west end of Toronto caused the most destruction as a result of an intense flash flood after most minor rivers and creeks drained into it.<ref name="hrec">{{cite web|author=Peter Bowyer|year=2004|access-date=2009-06-17|publisher=Canadian Hurricane Centre|url=http://www.ec.gc.ca/ouragans-hurricanes/default.asp?lang=en&n=BD91538F-1|title=Impacts&nbsp;– Humber River|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140710114700/http://www.ec.gc.ca/ouragans-hurricanes/default.asp?lang=En&n=BD91538F-1|archive-date=July 10, 2014|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> A team of five volunteer firefighters were killed when their fire truck was swept away as they were responding to help a stranded motorist.<ref name="fi193">Filey, p. 193</ref> Communities in the Humber floodplain were devastated. In [[Woodbridge, Ontario|Woodbridge]], the river swelled from its usual width of {{convert|20|m|ft|abbr=on}} at its narrowest point to {{convert|107|m|ft|abbr=on}}, and left hundreds homeless and nine dead.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.hurricanehazel.ca/ssi/about_community.shtml |title=Hurricane Hazel 50 Years Later: The Effects of Hazel on Toronto Area Communities|publisher=Hurricane Hazel |access-date=December 5, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080925050602/http://www.hurricanehazel.ca/ssi/about_community.shtml |archive-date=September 25, 2008 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The Humber swept away {{convert|366|m|ft|abbr=on}} of [[Raymore Drive]] and 14&nbsp;nearby homes, killing 35&nbsp;people out of the 81&nbsp;Canadian fatalities. The rise of the river was unprecedented and the residents did not evacuate, which led to the high death toll.<ref name="hrec"/> The [[Etobicoke Creek]] also overflowed its banks at the village of Long Branch, killing seven people after many dwellings were swept into Lake Ontario.<ref name="lbec">{{cite web|author=Peter Bowyer|year=2004|access-date=2009-06-17|publisher=Canadian Hurricane Centre|url=http://www.ec.gc.ca/ouragans-hurricanes/default.asp?lang=en&n=19D1EDC8-1|title=Impacts&nbsp;– Long Branch|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611165831/http://www.ec.gc.ca/ouragans-hurricanes/default.asp?lang=en&n=19D1EDC8-1|archive-date=June 11, 2011|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

The death toll of 81 people has not since been equaled by a [[natural disaster]] in Canada. In addition to the casualties, over 4,000 families were left homeless.<ref name="gif13">Gifford, p. 13</ref> The Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada estimates the total cost of Hurricane Hazel for Canada, taking into account long-term effects such as economic disruption, the cost of lost property, and recovery costs, to be [[Canadian dollar|C$]]1.03 billion in 2004 dollars (1.59 billion in 2024 dollars).<ref name="evec">{{cite web|first1=Peter | last1 = Bowyer|year=2004|access-date=5 October 2024|work = Canadian Hurricane Centre | publisher = King’s Printer for Canada|url=http://www.ec.gc.ca/ouragans-hurricanes/default.asp?lang=en&n=E1111740-1|title=Hurricane Hazel – Evaluation of Organizational Response
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808192953/http://www.ec.gc.ca/ouragans-hurricanes/default.asp?lang=En&n=E1111740-1|archive-date=August 8, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Aftermath==

===Haiti===
In the aftermath of Hazel, a three-day period of national mourning was declared in Haiti for hurricane victims. With existing infrastructure already poor, the recovery was very slow since many of the few existing roads were blocked, and communications equipment was either out, damaged, or destroyed. The Haitian Red Cross appealed for assistance to the International Red Cross, while the American Red Cross made a donation of $25,000 (1954 USD). [[Pan American World Airways]] offered the use of its planes to assist with the delivery of aid,<ref name="miami14">{{cite news|title=Hazel Points at the US Coast|author=Jack W. Roberts|date=1954-10-14|work=The Miami News|access-date=2018-10-04|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24293074/the_miami_news/|page=1|via=Newspapers.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006000559/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24293074/the_miami_news/|archive-date=October 6, 2018|url-status=live}} {{free access}}</ref> and the US aircraft carrier [[USS Saipan (CVL-48)|USS ''Saipan'']] deployed 18 helicopters to help deliver supplies.<ref name="miami15">{{cite news|title=Big Scale Relief Is Pushed In Hurricane-Battered Haiti|agency=Associated Press|date=1954-10-15|work=The Miami News|access-date=2018-10-05|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24293354/the_miami_news/|page=22|via=Newspapers.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006000622/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24293354/the_miami_news/|archive-date=October 6, 2018|url-status=live}} {{free access}}</ref> Despite the relief effort, there was an outbreak of [[typhoid fever]] following Hazel due to a lack of clean water.<ref>Kennedy, p. 31</ref>

===United States===
In the Carolinas, the National Guard was mobilized by the evening of October 15 to prevent looting along affected areas of the coastline. On October 17, President [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] declared a "major disaster" in the Carolinas, and offered "immediate and unlimited federal assistance."<ref name="time">{{cite magazine|magazine= [[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=1954-10-25|access-date=2010-03-15|title=The Americas: Hazel's Fling|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,823583,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101116211158/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,823583,00.html|archive-date=November 16, 2010|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Recovery was quick, and by October 24, all but two units were demobilized. Another concern was the rebuilding of the sand dunes along waterfronts. An artificial sand dune barrier, {{convert|39|km|mi|abbr=on}} long, was completed by October 30, which in the long run led to a more rapid natural build-up of larger dunes. 

With Myrtle Beach a popular tourist destination, the Chamber of Commerce began an information campaign to inform the public, which might have erroneously concluded from the massive media coverage that the city had been destroyed, that the city would be ready for the coming summer. The rebuilding after the partial destruction would transform Myrtle Beach from a "quaint summer colony to a high-rise resort city".<ref name="st178-9">Stokes, pp. 178–179</ref>

===Canada===
{{Main|Effects of Hurricane Hazel in Canada}}
[[File:Humber Weir.JPG|thumb|A [[weir]] was built on the Humber River near Raymore Drive to lessen the risk of a similar catastrophic flood.|alt=Water flows over a low dam over a river; one tree-lined bank of the river is visible.]]
The army sent about 800&nbsp;soldiers to Toronto to assist with the cleanup, providing blankets and mattresses. Toronto residents helped out with the relief effort: the [[Salvation Army]] received so many donations of clothes, footwear, blankets, food, and money that its storage facilities were overfilled, forcing it to advise against further donations until they were needed.<ref name="raec"/> A Hurricane Relief Fund was established to coordinate financial donations, ultimately raising about $5.3&nbsp;million (CAD). The fund received donations from organisations, companies, and individuals including [[Pope Pius XII]], the [[Ford Motor Company of Canada]], the [[United Church of Canada]], [[Laura Secord Chocolates|Laura Secord Candy Shops]], and the [[British-American Oil|British-American Oil Company]]. A portion of the fund was set aside as a contingency reserve in the event of unresolved claims and also toward administrative expenses.<ref name="raec">{{cite web|author=Peter Bowyer|year=2004|access-date=2009-06-17|publisher=Canadian Hurricane Centre|url=http://www.ec.gc.ca/ouragans-hurricanes/default.asp?lang=en&n=E1111740-1|title=Recovery&nbsp;– Aftermath|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808192953/http://www.ec.gc.ca/ouragans-hurricanes/default.asp?lang=En&n=E1111740-1|archive-date=August 8, 2014|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

The [[Toronto and Region Conservation Authority]] was created after the storm to manage the area's floodplains and rivers, such as building dams.<ref name="mitec">{{cite web|author=Peter Bowyer|year=2004|access-date=2009-06-17|publisher=Canadian Hurricane Centre|url=http://www.ec.gc.ca/ouragans-hurricanes/default.asp?lang=En&n=CA3BC939-1|title=Mitigation|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140710114638/http://www.ec.gc.ca/ouragans-hurricanes/default.asp?lang=En&n=CA3BC939-1|archive-date=July 10, 2014|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The heavily flooded areas were expropriated and barred from having homes, and most of the land was later converted into an extensive park system along Toronto's rivers. A footbridge dedicated to the victims crosses the Humber River in Raymore Park, which was the former Raymore Drive.<ref name="gif99">Gifford, p. 99</ref>

===Retirement===
{{main|List of retired Atlantic hurricane names}}
As a result of the high death toll and catastrophic damage in the Caribbean, United States and Canada, the name ''Hazel'' was removed from the tropical storm naming list for 10&nbsp;years, and then retired permanently in the spring of 1969, without being reused, as the hurricane was still an active subject of research. It will never again be used for an Atlantic hurricane.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=National Hurricane Center|location=Miami, Florida|access-date=February 17, 2024|title=Tropical Cyclone Naming History and Retired Names|url=https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames_history.shtml}}</ref><ref>{{cite report|url=http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/general/lib/lib1/nhclib/Publications/HOP%27s/HurWarningConf1969-.pdf|title=Report of the 1969 Interdepartmental Hurricane Warning Conference (Combined - Atlantic and Pacific)|page=17|publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|location=Miami, Florida|date=March 1969|access-date=February 17, 2024}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Tropical cyclones}}
* [[List of North Carolina hurricanes (1950–1979)]]
* [[List of Canadian hurricanes]]
* [[Hurricane Isabel]] (2003)- Caused similar impact on North Carolina and Virginia, just 49 years after the Hazel.
* [[Hurricane Sandy]]&nbsp;– a similar storm in 2012 with an unusual and complicated track due to [[extratropical cyclone|baroclinic interactions]]
* [[Hurricane Matthew]]&nbsp;– a storm which took a similar track in the Caribbean in 2016
* [[Hurricane Fiona]]&nbsp;- a strong Category 4 storm which impacted Atlantic Canada

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===

*{{Cite book|last=Cullingworth |first=J.B. |year=1987|url={{Google books |plainurl=yes |id=d2sXx0BYcUYC }} |title=Urban and regional planning in Canada|publisher=Transaction Publishers|location=New Jersey|isbn=0-88738-135-9}}
*{{Cite book |last=Filey |first=Mike|year=2003|title=Toronto Sketches 7|url={{Google books |plainurl=yes |id=Z_5A5TPu7aAC }} |publisher=Dundurn Press|location=Toronto|isbn=1-55002-526-0}}
*{{Cite book|last=Gifford|first=Jim|year=2004|title=Hurricane Hazel: Canada's Storm of the Century|publisher=Dundurn Press|location=Toronto|isbn=1-55002-448-5|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/torontosketches70000file}}
*{{Cite book|last=Hairr |first=John |year=2008|url={{Google books |plainurl=yes |id=LbHmjcbSx6sC }} |title=The Great Hurricanes of North Carolina|publisher=The History Press|location=Stroud, United Kingdom|isbn=978-1-59629-391-5}}
*{{Cite book|title=Hurricane Hazel|last=Kennedy|first=Betty|year=1979|location=Toronto|publisher=Macmillan of Canada|isbn=0-7705-1821-4}}
*{{cite book|title=Haiti: the politics of squalor|publisher=Houghton Mifflin|url={{Google books |plainurl=yes |id=CKV6AAAAMAAJ }} |isbn=0-395-12105-1|last1=Rotberg |first1=Robert I. |first2=Christopher K. |last2=Clague |name-list-style=amp |year=1971}}
*{{Cite book|last=Stokes |first=Barbara |year=2007|url={{Google books |plainurl=yes |id=4pfe0mFFO_EC }} |title=Myrtle Beach: a history, 1900–1980|publisher=University of South Carolina Press|location=Columbia|isbn=978-1-57003-697-2}}
*{{Cite book|last=Rasky |first=Frank |year=1961 |title=Great Canadian Disasters|publisher=Longman|location=Don Mills, Ontario}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
*[http://archives.cbc.ca/environment/extreme_weather/topics/77/ CBC Digital Archives&nbsp;– The Wrath of Hurricane Hazel]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120302231341/http://pi.library.yorku.ca/dspace/handle/10315/1478/browse?value=Hurricane+Hazel&type=series Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections, York University] – Archival photographs of Hurricane Hazel from the Toronto Telegram fonds.

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[[Category:Hurricane Hazel| ]]
[[Category:1954 Atlantic hurricane season|Hazel]]
[[Category:Category 4 Atlantic hurricanes|Hazel]]
[[Category:Retired Atlantic hurricanes|Hazel]]
[[Category:History of Toronto]]
[[Category:Hurricanes in Grenada|Hazel]]
[[Category:Hurricanes in Haiti|Hazel]]
[[Category:Hurricanes in North Carolina|Hazel]]
[[Category:Hurricanes in South Carolina|Hazel]]
[[Category:Hurricanes in Virginia|Hazel]]
[[Category:Hurricanes in Maryland|Hazel]]
[[Category:Hurricanes in Pennsylvania|Hazel]]
[[Category:Hurricanes in New York (state)|Hazel]]
[[Category:Hurricanes in Canada|Hazel]]
[[Category:1954 meteorology]]
[[Category:1954 in Canada]]
[[Category:Natural disasters in Ontario]]
[[Category:1954 natural disasters in the United States]]
[[Category:Hurricanes in West Virginia|Hazel]]
[[Category:Hurricanes in Washington, D.C.|Hazel]]
[[Category:Hurricanes in the ABC islands (Leeward Antilles)]]
[[Category:History of British Grenada]]
[[Category:1954 disasters in Canada]]