Hurricane Hazel Memorial Plaque

At a bridge where Bloor Street crosses the Humber river, a memorial plaque and a marker in the shape of a wave outline the history of Canada’s deadliest hurricane.

Hurricane Hazel hit the city of Toronto on October 15, 1954. According to historians, winds reached 77 miles per hour (124 kilometers per hour) as a massive amount of rain was dumped on the area in just 24 hours. This led to flash flooding on the Humber river, which swept away buildings, roads, and vehicles. According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, the result of the storm “left 81 dead, nearly 1,900 families homeless, and caused between $25 and $100 million in damages (modern-day cost has been estimated at over $1 billion).”

In the aftermath of Hurricane Hazel, the City of Toronto created the Toronto Regional Conservation Authority (TRCA) in an effort to manage floodplains and prevent further tradies caused by natural disasters.