File:Hurricane Hazel -- October 15, 1954 (4893181009).jpg

The Story here is that on October 15th of the year 1954 Southern Ontario was hit with the worst hurricane in Canadian history; it was hurricane Hazel.

Hurricane Hazel was projected to dissipate, but instead re-intensified unexpectedly and rapidly, pounding the Toronto region with winds that reached 110 kilometres per hour (68 mph) and 285 millimetres (11.23 inches) of rain in 48 hours. Bridges and streets were washed out, homes and trailers were washed into Lake Ontario. Thousands were left homeless, and 81 people were killed—more than 30 on one street alone. The total cost of the destruction in Canada was estimated at $100 million (about $1 billion today).

Although the official death toll for this storm is 81 people, various other statistics report between 80 and 83 deaths. Two names are missing from this list but are believed to be the storm orphan’s grandmother, name unknown, who was visiting at the time of the flood, and possibly Mr. and Mrs. Crymble’s daughter who was reported missing with her parents, but not confirmed dead in the follow-up newspaper reports of fatalities. The majority of the people on this list were drowned in the flooding rivers. Raymore Drive experienced the most casualties with 35 people dead on one street. Two other notable tragedies that stirred the emotions of the communities impacted by the floods and beyond were the Storm Orphan (Nancy Thorpe) and the deaths of five firemen from the Kingsway-Lambton fire station. Nancy Thorpe was the sole survivor of her family, which consisted of her parents and older brother. The five firemen were drowned when they were responding to a call for help from people trapped in their car along the flooding Humber River.

Auger, George – 22 – Hull, Quebec - electrocuted in Ottawa Babbidge, Claude – Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned Boyd, James – 84 – 140 Raymore Drive, Etobicoke - drowned Brasz, Albert – 48 – Weston - drowned Brough, Helen – 80 – Raymore, Drive, Etobicoke – drowned Clarke, John T. – 26 – O’Connor Drive – drowned at Woodbridge Collins, Clarence – Etobicoke Deputy Fire Chief – drowned Crymble, Ed – 35 – 13 Island Road, Long Branch – drowned when their home was swept into a lake Crymble, Mrs. Ed – 34 – 13 Island Road, Long Branch – drowned Curtis, Annie – 75 – Fairglen Crescent, Weston – drowned Deadder, Clyde – 19 – Thistletown – drowned in Humber Deadder, Murray – 23 – Thistletown – drowned in Humber Drysdale, Jerry – 23 – drowned in Woodbridge in the Humber Edgar, Charles – Baxter, Ontario – drowned at Beeton in the Boyne River Edwards, Kenneth – 27 – 248 Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned in Humber Edwards, Mrs. Joan – 27 – 248 Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned in Humber Edwards, Caroline – 3 – 248 Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned in Humber Edwards, Frank – 2- 248 Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned in Humber Edwards, John – 3 months – 248 Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned in Humber Gamble, Frederick W. – Shelburne – drowned at Woodbridge Gillan, George – 144 Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned Gillan, Helen – 144 Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned Girodat, Paul – 31- Raymore Drive – drowned in Humber Hall, Kenneth – 53 – 140 Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned Haugh, Jack – 72 – Beeton – drowned in Boyne River Haugh, Charles O. – 41 – Egbert, Ontario – drowned at Beeton in Boyne River Haugh, Mrs. Charles O. – 41 – Egbert, Ontario – drowned at Beeton in Boyne River Henderson, James – 62 – Selby or Kingston – killed in auto crash near Deseronto Hodgson, Wayne – 7 – London, Ontario – drowned Jeffries, Edward Albert – 69 – 143 Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned in Humber Jeffries, Elizabeth – 143 Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned Jeffries, Mrs. Thomas Sr. – Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned Johnston, Mrs. Robert – 47 – Long Branch – drowned Joyce, Frank J. – 19 – Athlone – killed in auto crash near Brampton when car fell into a cave-in on highway 7 Joyce, Irving – 20 – Beeton – drowned in car between Toronto and Beeton in Boyne River Lanning, Bruce – 10 – Oshawa – drowned at Unionville when he was swept from his father’s shoulders LeBlanc, Alice – 140 Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned McCallum, Gordon – Palmerston – burned in Southhampton train wreck McGarvey, Philomena – 45 – 152 Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned McGarvey, Jacqueline – 9 – 152 Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned McGarvey, Donald – 17 – 152 Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned Mercer, Frank – Etobicoke fireman – drowned Neil, Mrs. Jean – 25 – 148 Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned Neil, Adele – 1 – 148 Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned Neil, Susan – 3 – 148 Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned Neil, Darlene – 4 – 148 Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned Newing Gerald – 136 Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned Newing, Katherine (his mother) – 136 Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned Newing, Gerald Jr. – 136 Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned Nicholson, Stewart – Palmerston – fatally injured in Southhampton train crash Oliver, Roy – Etobicoke fireman – drowned Palmateer, Dave – Etobicoke fireman – drowned Peasley, Lambert – 140 Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned Peasley, Doris – 140 Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned Peasley, Sylvia – 18 – 140 Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned Perry, Della – 50 – Lansing – drowned at Woodbridge Radley, Diane – 8 – Woodbridge – drowned Radley, Bobby – 5 – Woodbridge – drowned Reid, Donald – 29 – Woodbridge – drowned Reid, Mrs. Donald – Woodbridge – drowned Reid, Dallas – 7 – Woodbridge – drowned Ryan, Charles – 32 – 61 Fairglen Crescent, Weston – drowned Sauer, Mary – 53 Mattice Avenue, Etobicoke – drowned Salt, Vera – 136 Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned Small, Angus – Etobicoke Fireman – drowned Smith, Jack Sr. – 69 – Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned Smith, Grace – 65 – Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned Smith, Jack Jr. – 30 – Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned Summers, George – 75 – Deseronto – killed in an auto crash near Deseronto Thorpe, Clifford - 27 – Island Road - Long Branch – drowned Thorpe, Patricia - 27 – Island Road - Long Branch – drowned Thorpe, Robert – 2- Island Road – Long Branch - drowned Topless, Al – 29 –- 136 Raymore Drive, Etobicoke - drowned Topless, Anne – 26 – 136 Raymore Drive, Etobicoke – drowned Trimble, Mrs. Marlon – Port Credit – drowned in Credit River Van Gelder, Lou – 21 – Fairglen Crescent drowned Wicks, Mrs. Nora – 45 – Aylmer – drowned in Aylmer Creek Wilson, David – Weston – drowned in Humber Wilson, Lewis (his father) – Weston – drowned

300 million: number of tons of water that fell during the storm

155: Hazel's maximum speed (mph) in the Caribbean

81: Number of people in Ontario who lost their lives from the flooding

4,000: Number of families left homeless in Southern Ontario from the flood (1,868 in Toronto)

32: Houses on Raymore Drive that were washed away by floods

4: Magnitude of Hazel at the maximum rating prior to landfall on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane scale

The devastating impact of Hurricane Hazel in 1954 was a mobilizing force in bringing a regional approach to flood control and water management in Ontario. A more coordinated approach between conservation authorities, local municipalities and the province took form after Hazel, and today these organizations play a significant role in the protection of life and property from natural hazards, such as flooding. After Hazel, the provincial government amended the Conservation Authorities Act to enable an authority to acquire lands for recreation and conservation purposes and to regulate that land for the safety of the community.

Sources: www.hurricanehazel.ca/