Archived: Post-Tropical Storm Hanna Brief Storm Summary (2008)

Storm

Tropical Storm Hanna was born on August 28, reached the southern Bahamas on September 1 as a marginal hurricane, and then weakened slightly but remained a strong tropical storm until it made landfall in the Carolinas on September 6. The storm accelerated rapidly up the eastern U.S. seaboard as it transitioned to a post-tropical storm and moved into the western Maritimes by noon ADT on Sunday, September 7. Within 24 hours, the storm centre was east of Newfoundland, but not before tracking along the Fundy coast of Nova Scotia, through eastern Prince Edward Island, northern Cape Breton and southern Newfoundland.

Conditions

Post-tropical Storm Hanna remained at gale strength throughout its track across Atlantic Canada, bringing peak winds near 80 km/h to both the marine district and numerous inland locations in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. A peak wind of 87 km/h was reported at Baccaro Point, Nova Scotia All four Atlantic provinces reported periods of intense rainfalls (10–30 mm in one hour) as well as significant rainfall accumulations in excess of 50 mm. The Fundy coasts of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia were hardest hit, with more than 100 mm, while most of Prince Edward Island received 60–90 mm.

Impacts

Widespread reports of road washouts and flooded basements--numbering in the hundreds--came from the Fundy coasts of New Brunswick and throughout portions of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. The city of Saint John, New Brunswick, was hardest hit, with dozens of roads being closed. A washout closed part of the Southern New Brunswick Railway. Scattered power outages were also reported in Nova Scotia.

Warnings

Environment Canada’s Storm Prediction Centres issued gale warnings for Maritime waters more than 24 hours in advance of their arrival and issued detailed rainfall warnings 18–24 hours before the arrival of the rain. Forecasts of the possibility of 100 mm rainfalls were issued 2 days in advance by the Canadian Hurricane Centre.

Coordination and communication effort

During Hanna’s approach and passage, September 2–8, Atlantic warning preparedness meteorologists and Canadian Hurricane Centre forecasters conducted 79 media interviews, worked closely with regional emergency measures organizations, Public Safety Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Canadian Coast Guard, and public utility companies.