September 9, 1775 - The Hurricane of Independence

On September 9, 1775, a hurricane swept over the province of Newfoundland, which at the time, was a colony of Great Britain. It was the first recorded hurricane in Atlantic Canada and the deadliest natural disaster in the country’s history.

Storm surge reached heights of between 20 and 30 feet. The storm led to the sinking of many fishing boats and two British naval vessels. A total of 4,000 sailors were reported to have drowned, most of them from England and Ireland.

On today’s podcast, we discuss the origin of the hurricane and delve into the theory that there were two storms hitting in close succession, instead of just one.

"This Day In Weather History” is a daily podcast by The Weather Network that features unique and informative stories from host Chris Mei. Click here to listen and subscribe!