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Create AccountTime after time, Digna Arguello folded her hands in prayer and asked God to put an end to the tempest. But Hurricane Mitch just raged on, tearing at her tiny home in the remote Nicaraguan village of Chinandega, and dumping nearly a metre of rain a day on a broad swath of Central America.
Bridges, train trestles and elevated highways collapsed, sending hapless passengers plummeting to their deaths. Apartment buildings crumpled and fell, crushing terrified occupants still huddled in their beds.
At 4:10 AM on 29 April 1903, 74 million tonnes of rock crashed down the east slope of Turtle Mountain in the Crowsnest Pass region of Alberta
A rock slide is a type of landslide occurring when a mass of rock moves quickly downslope.
Disastrous fires may result from arson, accident or uncontrolled forest fire. Their impact may include lives lost, people evacuated and property damaged. Numerous fires, especially forest fires, occur in Canada every year; this article details the worst that have occurred throughout the country’s history.
A forest fire is a moving combustion reaction, spreading outwards in a band from its ignition point, leaving burned-out forest behind it. On average, about 6,000 forest fires occur annually in Canada.
In the deep ocean a tsunami travels at about the speed of a commercial jetliner and its length from crest to crest can be 100 km or more, but its height will be less than a metre and therefore it will not be noticed by ships at sea.
A landslide is a downward and outward movement of a soil mass that formed part of a slope.
Floods are primarily caused by naturally occurring changes in the height of rivers, lakes and oceans. According to Public Safety Canada, floods are the most common natural hazard in the country and among the costliest. Historic floods have occurred across Canada, with many of the worst happening on major river systems that pass through populated areas. Scientists predict that flooding linked to the impacts of climate change will increase as the 21st century progresses, particularly in coastal areas of the country.
This article is from our Toronto Feature series. Features from past programs are not updated.
Hurricane Hazel was one of the most devastating and unpredictable tropical storms of the 20th century. It was first identified on 5 October 1954, in the Caribbean, where it smashed into Haiti and then battered the Carolinas. The storm struck Toronto on 15 October with winds of 124 km/h and record rainfall.The following article is an editorial written by The Canadian Encyclopedia staff. Editorials are not usually updated.
Hurricane Hazel struck the Toronto area on 15-16 October 1954, with devastating results. It was Canada's worst hurricane and Toronto's worst natural disaster. During the storm, winds reached 124 km/h and over 200 millimetres of rain fell in just 24 hours. This horrific storm left 81 dead, nearly 1900 families homeless, and caused between $25 and $100 million in damages (modern-day cost has been estimated at over $1 billion).
The following article is an editorial written by The Canadian Encyclopedia staff. Editorials are not usually updated.
The following article is an editorial written by The Canadian Encyclopedia staff. Editorials are not usually updated.
