Abstract
In 1954 Hurricane Hazel caused such destruction around Lake Ontario that it’s a vivid memory half a century later. In 2003 Hurricane Juan so devastated the Halifax, Nova Scotia area that complete recovery will take decades. In the fall of 2005, Hurricane Katrina, immediately followed by Rita and Wilma, held North America and the world spellbound. In fact, 2005 was a record breaking year for tropical storms, with four Category 5 hurricanes, seven tropical storms before August 1, the strongest hurricane in the Atlantic basin, and the costliest and third deadliest hurricane in US history.