NOUS42 KCHS 151015
PNSCHS
GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040-042>045-047>052-152300-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
615 AM EDT SAT OCT 15 2011

...HURRICANE HAZEL MAKES LANDFALL IN 1954...

ON OCTOBER 15TH...BACK IN 1954...ONE OF THE STRONGEST HURRICANES 
THAT EVER HIT SOUTH CAROLINA MADE LANDFALL NEAR THE BORDER WITH 
NORTH CAROLINA. THE MAJOR HURRICANE HURRICANE WAS A CATEGORY 4 AS IT 
MOVED NORTHWARD ABOUT 150 MILES OFF THE GEORGIA COAST PRIOR TO 
DAYBREAK ON THE 15TH. AROUND 8 AM THAT MORNING HAZEL PASSED ABOUT 70 
MILES EAST OF CHARLESTON...BEFORE MAKING LANDFALL A COUPLE OF HOURS 
LATER NEAR THE LITTLE RIVER INLET OUTSIDE OF MYRTLE BEACH. HER 
CENTRAL PRESSURE AT LANDFALL WAS 938 MB...OR 27.70 INCHES...MAKING 
HAZEL THE 16TH MOST INTENSE HURRICANE THAT MADE LANDFALL IN THE 
UNITED STATES FROM 1851 THROUGH 2010.   

HAZEL WAS FIRST SPOTTED EAST OF THE WINDWARD ISLANDS ON OCTOBER 
5TH...MOVING THROUGH THE ISLANDS LATER THAT DAY AS A HURRICANE. IT 
CONTINUED TO MOVE WESTWARD OVER THE SOUTHERN CARIBBEAN SEA THROUGH 
OCTOBER 8TH...BEFORE TURNING NORTH AND NORTHWEST FROM THE 9TH THROUGH 
THE 12TH...CROSSING HAITI AS A HURRICANE ON OCTOBER 12TH. 

THE HURRICANE THEN TURNED NORTH AND CROSSED THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS ON 
OCTOBER 13TH...WITH MORE OF A NORTHWEST MOVEMENT ON THE 14TH. HAZEL
THEN TURNED NORTH AND ACCELERATED IN FORWARD SPEED ON THE 15TH AS
SHE MADE LANDFALL.

BY EARLY AFTERNOON ON THE 15TH...HAZEL WAS DOWNGRADED TO AN 
EXTRA-TROPICAL CYCLONE AS WINDS DIMINISHED SIGNIFICANTLY FROM 110 TO 
80 KNOTS. SHE PASSED RAPIDLY NORTH THROUGH NORTH CAROLINA...
VIRGINIA...MARYLAND...PENNSYLVANIA AND WESTERN NEW YORK...BEFORE
MOVING INTO CANADA EARLY OCTOBER 16TH.

HIGH WINDS OCCURRED OVER A LARGE PORTION OF THE EASTERN UNITED 
STATES...WITH WINDS ESTIMATED AS HIGH AS 130 TO 150 MPH FROM MYRTLE 
BEACH TO CAPE FEAR. THERE WERE EVEN REPORTS OF WIND GUSTS OVER 90 
MPH AS FAR NORTH AS NEW YORK. 

A STORM SURGE OF 18 FEET INUNDATED PORTIONS OF THE NORTH CAROLINA 
COAST. A LARGE AREA OF 4 TO 6 INCHES OF RAIN OCCURRED FROM SOUTHERN 
VIRGINIA NORTHWARD INTO WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA...WITH A FEW LOCATIONS 
RECEIVING UP TO 10 INCHES. AS MUCH AS 11 INCHES OF INTENSE RAIN 
OCCURRED AS FAR NORTH AS TORONTO...CANADA. 

UNFORTUNATELY HAZEL WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR 95 DEATHS IN THE UNITED 
STATES...100 DEATHS IN CANADA...AND PERHAPS AS MANY AS 1000 IN 
HAITI.  

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT THE NATIONAL HURRICANE 
CENTER AT...

WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV

$$