1. Canada’s Worst Natural Disasters

2. Lives Lost

3. Death Toll 4000 1. NEWFOUNDLAND HURRICANE OF 1775
Also known as the Independence Hurricane, the Newfoundland Hurricane of 1775 created a large storm surge which caused the sea to rise 10 meters. Of the 4000 people who died in the storm, a large amount was sailors from Ireland and Britain.
It is thought that more than 200 fishing boats, along with their crews, were lost to the storm.
As the storm came on suddenly with no warning, the sailors were unable to get to safety before the storm hit.
After the storm 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 storm continued to wash ashore.
Other Losses
Fishing boats-200+

4. Death Toll 2000 2. TSEAX CONE ERUPTION
One of the earliest known Canadian natural disasters, the Tseax Cone Eruption is thought to have occurred around 1750 – 1775.  Legends of the 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.
- Deaths were due to volcanic gases and poisonous smoke emitted by the erupting volcano

5. some ships were also lost
Death Toll
3. GREAT LABRADOR GALE OF 1885
Noted for its extreme storms, the Labrador Coast experienced one of the worst in October At the time the storm broke, the entire Newfoundland fishing fleet, consisting of upwards of 2000 ships, were at sea.
some ships were also lost

6. Death Toll 250 4. GREAT LAKES STORM OF 1913
The Great Lakes Storm of 1913, a blizzard with hurricane-force winds, is one of the most deadly and most destructive natural disasters to ever strike the Great Lakes. The storm battered the Great Lakes area over a period of 4 days, killing more than 250 people, destroying 19 ships and stranding another 19.
The storm generated wind gusts of 145 km/hr, created white-out blizzard conditions and waves over 11 meters high. While the storm was devastating, analysis of the storm led to better forecasting and improved responses to storm warnings.
19 ships

7. Death Toll 223 5. NOVA SCOTIA HURRICANE OF 1873
The Nova Scotia Hurricane of 1873 struck during August of that year and quickly became one of Nova Scotia’s worst hurricanes. The storm destroyed ships and 900 buildings in Nova Scotia while killing at least 223 people.
1200 ships destroyed
900 buildings destroyed

8. 2000km2 forest destroyed by fire
Death Toll
 6. MATHESON FIRE- 1916
The Matheson Fire occurred in July 1916 and was the worst forest fire in Canadian history in terms 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 burned over 2,000 square kilometers and destroyed the towns of  Porquis Junction, Iroquois Falls, Kelso, Nushka, Matheson, and Ramore.
Because there had been fires burning for several weeks and smoke had covered the area during this time, the residents had little warning 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.
2000km2 forest destroyed by fire

9. 16 000km2 forest destroyed by fire in 8 hours
Death Toll
7. MIRAMICHI FIRE
The Miramichi Fire was a massive forest fire that occurred in October 1825 and ravaged the northern 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.
The fire burned so quickly that 16,000 square kilometers burned in 8 hours. Many people attempted to find protection 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 to be the result of a very hot and dry summer and fall and several outdoor fires by settlers and loggers.
16 000km2 forest destroyed by fire in 8 hours

10. Death Toll 81 50 bridges destroyed 8. HURRICANE HAZEL- 1954
Hurricane Hazel was the most deadly and the most costly storm of the 1954 Atlantic hurricane season. After striking Haiti and then the United States, Hurricane Hazel struck Toronto, Ontario, on the evening of October 15, Toronto was not prepared for the storm as they had no previous experience with hurricanes and this only made the situation worse.
In the weeks before the storm, Toronto had received a large amount of rain so when the storm 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 many as 1,000 people in Haiti.
50 bridges destroyed

11. Mining camps and town were destroyed
Death Toll 73
9. GREAT PORCUPINE FIRE
The Great Porcupine Fire struck the community of Porcupine in Timmins, Ontario in July While the Porcupine Gold Rush was at its peak, hot and dry winds stirred 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.
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 found there, the town was rebuilt in a fairly short amount of time.
Mining camps and town were destroyed

12. 82 – million tons slid- that is equal to 14 great pyramids of giza
Death Toll
10. FRANK SLIDE-1903
The Frank Slide is a rockslide that occurred in April 1903 in the town of Frank in what is now Alberta. In the early morning hours of April 29, 82 million tons of limestone slid down the face of Turtle Mountain in only 90 seconds demolishing the eastern edge of the town, the Canadian Pacific Railway line that ran through the town, and the coal mine under the mountain.
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 mountain.
12 bodies were able to be recovered directly following the slide, and 6 were recovered in The remaining bodies were never recovered and remain buried beneath the slide.
82 – million tons slid- that is equal to 14 great pyramids of giza

13. Canada’s worst Disaters in past 20 years

14. Hail Storm in Calgary (2010)

15. Hail Storm in Calgary (2010)
Cost
Deaths $

16. Blizzard in Halifax 2004

17. Blizzard in Halifax 2004
Cost
Deaths
$19.9 Million

18. F5 Tornado- Elie, Manitoba (2007)

19. F5 Tornado- Elie, Manitoba (2007)
Losses
Deaths
$39 Million
Crops
Flour mill
Bridges
Homes
Utility lines

20. Wind storm Vancouver’s Stanley Park 2006

21. Wind storm Vancouver’s Stanley Park 2006
losses
Death
$ in damages
41 hectares of forest is leveled

22. Pine Lake Tornado Alberta 2000

23. Pine Lake Tornado Alberta 2000
Cost
Death
$13 Million 12
100+ injuries

24. Hurricane Igor Newfoundland 2010

25. Hurricane Igor Newfoundland 2010
Cost
Death
$200 million 4

26. Saguenay Flood 1996

27. Saguenay Flood 1996
Cost
Death
$1.5 Billion 10

28. Ice Storm On, QB, NB, NS 1998

29. Ice Storm- On, QB, NB, NS
Cost
Death
$5-7 Billion 28

30. The Drought Prairies

31. The Drought Prairies 2000-2004 Cost Death
$3.6 Billion in decresed production

32. Ice Storm S. Ontario & Atlantic Canada 2013

33. Ice Storm S. Ontario & Atlantic Canada 2013
Cost
Death
$106 Million
$12.9 Million for Toronto Hydro alone
Over 1,500,000 people without power for days 6*
*not due to the freezing rain