1959 Escuminac Hurricane
Encyclopedia
The Escuminac Hurricane (or Escuminac Disaster) is the name given for a rare June hurricane which struck Canada
's Gulf of St. Lawrence on the night of June 19 during the 1959 Atlantic hurricane season
, sinking 22 fishing boats from the port of Escuminac, New Brunswick
, Canada
, and drowning 35.
on June 18. It moved quickly over Florida and reached tropical storm, then hurricane strength on the 19th. The storm became extratropical as it sped northwards, reaching its peak at 80 mph (128.7 km/h) winds after becoming extratropical. Instead of curving out to sea, the storm looped westward into the Gulf of St. Lawrence on the night of the 19th. Here it stalled for about 12 hours before reversing its course and heading back out to sea on the 21st.
The storm was not named, although modern analysis indicates it briefly reached hurricane strength before becoming extratropical.
The cyclone struck at peak strength late in the evening of June 19. The commercial salmon
fishing fleet had sailed from Escuminac, New Brunswick
, to set their nets at the mouth of Miramichi Bay
and drift with them until morning.
The skies turned ominous shortly after supper that evening, and the storm hit with such ferocity that the shallow waters of the western Gulf of St. Lawrence were reportedly running between 50–60 feet in height. Unfortunately, the updated storm warnings had not been passed on from meteorologists to the fishing fleet because the boats had no radios.
Of the 54 boats which sailed from Escuminac, 22 were lost. Fishermen who survived the storm described the sheer terror of the experience to rescuers, Royal Canadian Air Force
(from RCAF Station Chatham and RCAF Station Summerside) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police
, who mounted a search effort over the ensuing days. Relatives of the missing maintained a vigil on the shores of the Gulf as the news story of the search for survivors gripped Canadians across the country throughout the remaining days of June 1959. While Hurricane Hazel
killed 81 Canadians in 1954, no hurricane since then has caused as many fatalities in Canada.
, pop. approximately 600, was faced with 19 widows and 76 fatherless children unprovided for. In addition to the loss of life, the loss of property was potentially disastrous to the entire region which saw infrastructure (such as wharves and breakwaters) damaged, vessels destroyed, and fishing gear (such as trawls and lobster traps) lost or damaged beyond repair.
A relief fund was established, and contributions came in from across Canada. Even the town of Springhill, Nova Scotia
, itself the victim of mining disasters
in 1956 and 1958, sent 2 tons of food aid.
Both HM
Elizabeth II and HRH
Th Duke of Edinburgh
, who were on a Royal Tour in another part of Canada at the time, expressed their sympathies and are reportedly the source of a large anonymous donation which was made to the relief fund in the days following the event.
Today, the "Escuminac Disaster Monument" sits as a memorial on the shores of Escuminac Harbour, not far from the very wharf that the fleet sailed from. The monument carries the names of the 35 victims and this inscription:
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's Gulf of St. Lawrence on the night of June 19 during the 1959 Atlantic hurricane season
1959 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1959 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 15, 1959, and lasted until November 15, 1959. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin...
, sinking 22 fishing boats from the port of Escuminac, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and drowning 35.
Meteorological history
A tropical depression originated in the Gulf of MexicoGulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
on June 18. It moved quickly over Florida and reached tropical storm, then hurricane strength on the 19th. The storm became extratropical as it sped northwards, reaching its peak at 80 mph (128.7 km/h) winds after becoming extratropical. Instead of curving out to sea, the storm looped westward into the Gulf of St. Lawrence on the night of the 19th. Here it stalled for about 12 hours before reversing its course and heading back out to sea on the 21st.
The storm was not named, although modern analysis indicates it briefly reached hurricane strength before becoming extratropical.
Impact
Atlantic salmon
The Atlantic salmon is a species of fish in the family Salmonidae, which is found in the northern Atlantic Ocean and in rivers that flow into the north Atlantic and the north Pacific....
fishing fleet had sailed from Escuminac, New Brunswick
Escuminac, New Brunswick
Escuminac is a Canadian rural community in Northumberland County, New Brunswick.Located on the south shore of Miramichi Bay, the community is several kilometres west of Point Escuminac, the southeastern limit of the bay. Canada's largest inshore fishing vessel harbour is home to the local fishing...
, to set their nets at the mouth of Miramichi Bay
Miramichi Bay
Miramichi Bay is an estuary located on the west coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence in New Brunswick, at the mouth of the Miramichi River. Miramichi Bay is separated into the "inner bay" and the "outer bay", with the division being a line of uninhabited barrier islands which are continually reshaped...
and drift with them until morning.
The skies turned ominous shortly after supper that evening, and the storm hit with such ferocity that the shallow waters of the western Gulf of St. Lawrence were reportedly running between 50–60 feet in height. Unfortunately, the updated storm warnings had not been passed on from meteorologists to the fishing fleet because the boats had no radios.
Of the 54 boats which sailed from Escuminac, 22 were lost. Fishermen who survived the storm described the sheer terror of the experience to rescuers, Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
(from RCAF Station Chatham and RCAF Station Summerside) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
, who mounted a search effort over the ensuing days. Relatives of the missing maintained a vigil on the shores of the Gulf as the news story of the search for survivors gripped Canadians across the country throughout the remaining days of June 1959. While Hurricane Hazel
Hurricane Hazel
Hurricane Hazel was the deadliest and costliest hurricane of the 1954 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm killed as many as 1,000 people in Haiti before striking the United States near the border between North and South Carolina, as a Category 4 hurricane...
killed 81 Canadians in 1954, no hurricane since then has caused as many fatalities in Canada.
Aftermath
As the hopes of finding survivors dimmed, the small fishing community of Escuminac, New BrunswickEscuminac, New Brunswick
Escuminac is a Canadian rural community in Northumberland County, New Brunswick.Located on the south shore of Miramichi Bay, the community is several kilometres west of Point Escuminac, the southeastern limit of the bay. Canada's largest inshore fishing vessel harbour is home to the local fishing...
, pop. approximately 600, was faced with 19 widows and 76 fatherless children unprovided for. In addition to the loss of life, the loss of property was potentially disastrous to the entire region which saw infrastructure (such as wharves and breakwaters) damaged, vessels destroyed, and fishing gear (such as trawls and lobster traps) lost or damaged beyond repair.
A relief fund was established, and contributions came in from across Canada. Even the town of Springhill, Nova Scotia
Springhill, Nova Scotia
-Coal mining:The first industrial coal mining in the area took place in the 1870s after a rail connection was built by the Springhill and Parrsboro Coal and Railway Company to the newly completed Intercolonial Railway at neighbouring Springhill Junction....
, itself the victim of mining disasters
Springhill mining disaster
The term Springhill mining disaster can refer to any of three separate Canadian mining disasters which occurred in 1891, 1956, and 1958 in different mines within the Springhill coalfield, near the town of Springhill in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia....
in 1956 and 1958, sent 2 tons of food aid.
Both HM
Majesty
Majesty is an English word derived ultimately from the Latin maiestas, meaning "greatness".- Origin :Originally, during the Roman republic, the word maiestas was the legal term for the supreme status and dignity of the state, to be respected above everything else...
Elizabeth II and HRH
Royal Highness
Royal Highness is a style ; plural Royal Highnesses...
Th Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
, who were on a Royal Tour in another part of Canada at the time, expressed their sympathies and are reportedly the source of a large anonymous donation which was made to the relief fund in the days following the event.
Today, the "Escuminac Disaster Monument" sits as a memorial on the shores of Escuminac Harbour, not far from the very wharf that the fleet sailed from. The monument carries the names of the 35 victims and this inscription:
- "In honour of the fishermen who lost their lives in the Escuminac disaster, June 20, 1959....Pour honorer la mémoire des pêcheurs qui ont perdu la vie dans le désastre d'Escuminac, le 20 juin, 1959."
See also
- List of tropical cyclones
- List of Atlantic hurricanes