Formed 1987 Headquarters Dartmouth, Nova Scotia | Jurisdiction Canada | |
The Canadian Hurricane Centre (CHC) is a division of the Meteorological Service of Canada, an agency of Canada's Department of the Environment, that advises Canadians on the threat of tropical cyclones such as hurricanes and tropical storms. Founded in 1987, CHC provides guidance to MSC's weather centres in eastern and Atlantic Canada, and is based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. CHC frequently consults with its United States counterpart, the National Hurricane Center in Miami, to coordinate the tracks and positions of storms that pose a threat to Canada.
Contents
History
Hurricane Gloria and its less-than-expected damage prompted Environment Canada to create the CHC. Its first hurricane warnings were issued in 2008 for Hurricane Kyle, which struck near Yarmouth, Nova Scotia on September 28, 2008, and quickly became extratropical while maintaining much of its strength into New Brunswick and Labrador.
Duties
The organization gathers information on tropical and post-tropical cyclones (systems in the process of becoming extratropical cyclones), predicts their evolution and assesses their potential impact on Canada. Their area of responsibility is bound by the Canada-United States border and extends into waters offshore Canada to 200 nautical miles (370 km). Like other hurricane centers, the Canadian Hurricane Centre makes presentations about tropical cyclones to schools, businesses, the media, and other governmental agencies. They also coordinate with the public concerning addition queries about hurricanes in Canada.
Frequency
While hurricanes are relatively uncommon in Canada, they do approach or strike from time to time. Recent occurrences include:
Also of note due to its rarity and the damage caused is Hurricane Hazel which hit Toronto, Ontario in 1954, which remained a strong storm even after crossing over the U.S. East Coast states.