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The 1959 Escuminac disaster (also to referred to as the Escuminac hurricane) was considered the worst fishing-related disaster in
New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
in 100 years. It occurred due to the
extratropical Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of p ...
remnants of an Atlantic hurricane. The storm was the third
tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
and first hurricane of the 1959 Atlantic hurricane season, and developed from a tropical wave in the central
Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...
on June 18. It headed rapidly northeastward and struck
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
later that day. Shortly after entering the
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
, it strengthened into a tropical storm later on June 18. By the following day, it had strengthened into a hurricane. However, it transitioned into an extratropical cyclone about six hours later. The remnants struck
Atlantic Canada Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (french: provinces de l'Atlantique), is the region of Eastern Canada comprising the provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec. The four provinces are New Brunswick, Newfoundlan ...
, once in
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...
and again in
Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
before dissipating on June 21. In its early stages, the storm dropped moderately heavy rainfall in Florida, which caused damage to crops. A tornado near
Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
and high tides on the west coast of the state also resulted in damage. Overall, losses in Florida were around $1.7 million (1959 USD). After becoming extratropical, the storm caused significant effects in Atlantic Canada. About 45 boats were in the
Northumberland Strait The Northumberland Strait (French: ''détroit de Northumberland'') is a strait in the southern part of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in eastern Canada. The strait is formed by Prince Edward Island and the gulf's eastern, southern, and western sho ...
between New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, and they did not have radio to receive warning of the approaching storm. Rough seas of up to 49 ft (15 m) in height damaged or destroyed many boats. At least 22 fishing boats capsized with their crews, causing 35 fatalities. High winds also disrupted communications in some areas, and several houses sustained damaged, costing $750,000 (1959 CAD, $781,000 1959 USD). The event became the deadliest work-related disaster in New Brunswick.


Early history

On June 15, a
tropical wave A tropical wave (also called easterly wave, tropical easterly wave, and African easterly wave), in and around the Atlantic Ocean, is a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which ...
with associated
instability In numerous fields of study, the component of instability within a system is generally characterized by some of the outputs or internal states growing without bounds. Not all systems that are not stable are unstable; systems can also be mar ...
was observed in the northwestern Caribbean Sea. It moved into the central Gulf of Mexico on June 16, and the next day developed a weak circulation at the same time that Tropical Storm Beulah was on the other side of the gulf. The system in the eastern gulf moved to the northeast, becoming a tropical depression by June 18 at 0000  UTC. Moving quickly to the northeast, the system moved across central Florida in less than six hours, making
landfall Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...
near
Tampa Bay Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and shallow estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west-central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay. The largest freshwater in ...
and exiting near
Cape Canaveral , image = cape canaveral.jpg , image_size = 300 , caption = View of Cape Canaveral from space in 1991 , map = Florida#USA , map_width = 300 , type =Cape , map_caption = Location in Florida , location ...
. As the depression struck western Florida, it produced above-normal tides, which damaged docks and caused beach erosion. Wind gusts near
Sarasota Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sout ...
reached about 49 mph (80 km/h). After previously wet conditions, the system dropped heavy rainfall across the state, unofficially reaching in some areas and causing flooding. Along the Indian River, flooding damaged citrus crops, and statewide some roads were damaged. When the storm was first forming in the Gulf of Mexico, it spawned an F3 tornado in Miami that lasted for over 20 minutes. The
National Climatic Data Center The United States National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), previously known as the National Weather Records Center (NWRC), in Asheville, North Carolina, was the world's largest active archive of weather data. Starting as a tabulation unit in New Orl ...
considered it the worst tornado in the city since
1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Italia ...
, and the overall path was about . A total of 77 people were injured due to the tornado, mostly due to cuts from broken glass, and damage from it was estimated at $1.5 million. Another tornado was reported north of
West Palm Beach West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sunset, Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic languages, German ...
, although it affected a sparsely populated area; total damage statewide totaled $1,656,000.


Storm approach to Canada

Late on June 18, it is estimated the depression intensified into a tropical storm, and that day the Miami Hurricane Center issued its last advisory, warning ships of the potential for future strengthening. The storm moved rapidly to the northeast, passing halfway between Bermuda and North Carolina early on June 19. At 0250 UTC that day, a ship reported a falling
barometric pressure Atmospheric pressure, also known as barometric pressure (after the barometer), is the pressure within the atmosphere of Earth. The standard atmosphere (symbol: atm) is a unit of pressure defined as , which is equivalent to 1013.25 millibars, 7 ...
of with west-southwesterly winds of . Although it was associated with a diffused frontal zone, the storm maintained a warm core and initially remained largely tropical. At 1200 UTC on June 19, it is estimated the storm intensified into a hurricane about halfway between Bermuda and Nova Scotia, with a pressure of . Six hours later, it became
extratropical Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of p ...
, although the former hurricane intensified further to peak winds of 80 mph (130 km/h). On June 20, the storm slowed and turned sharply to the northwest. It weakened slightly before moving ashore near
Canso, Nova Scotia Canso is a community in Guysborough County, on the north-eastern tip of mainland Nova Scotia, Canada, next to Chedabucto Bay. In January 2012, it ceased to be a separate town and as of July 2012 was amalgamated into the Municipality of the Di ...
. Crossing the island, it struck
Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has seve ...
before turning sharply to the east and crossing Nova Scotia again. Late on June 20, it re-emerged into the Atlantic Ocean and continued to the east-northeast. The extratropical storm moved over southeastern
Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
and dissipated on June 21. Before the storm reached Atlantic Canada, the meteorological branch of the
Department of Transport The Department for Transport (DfT) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that have not been devolved. The d ...
provided notices for the advancing storm. On the day of the storm, the forecast from the Halifax weather office was for light winds, and although it was amended to highlight severe conditions, boats in the region had no radio to learn of the threat. There were many salmon in the region, which prompted fishermen to set sail. As the storm approached, there were about 45 boats in the
Northumberland Strait The Northumberland Strait (French: ''détroit de Northumberland'') is a strait in the southern part of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in eastern Canada. The strait is formed by Prince Edward Island and the gulf's eastern, southern, and western sho ...
between New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.


Impact and aftermath

Along the coast of New Brunswick, the storm produced 49 ft (15 m) waves that destroyed several boats, including 22 over open waters between
Point Escuminac Point Escuminac is a cape located in eastern New Brunswick, Canada. Its geographic coordinates are 47º04'N, 64º48'W. It is the dividing point for delineating the western limits of the Northumberland Strait. It is located near the unincorpora ...
and
Richibucto Richibucto is a town in Kent County, New Brunswick, Canada. Geography The town is situated on the Richibucto River where it discharges into the Northumberland Strait. History Richibucto had been the location of an annual Mi'kmaq summer coas ...
. Two bodies washed ashore in the latter, and eleven bodies were eventually discovered. About one-third of the salmon boats in Miramichi were destroyed. Across New Brunswick, the storm disrupted communications near the coast. Along the coasts of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, high waves destroyed cottages and forced some families to evacuate. The former hurricane produced strong winds in the region, peaking at 75 mph (120 km/h), and its passage was accompanied by moderate rainfall, peaking at 4.29 in (109 mm) in Nova Scotia. There, many lobster cages were destroyed, and boats were removed from their moorings. In Prince Edward Island, up to 50% of the
lobster trap A lobster trap or lobster pot is a portable trap that traps lobsters or crayfish and is used in lobster fishing. In Scotland (chiefly in the north), the word creel is used to refer to a device used to catch lobsters and other crustaceans. A l ...
s were destroyed or missing, including 5,000 destroyed traps near Souris. As with New Brunswick, several boats were destroyed or washed ashore, and damage in the province was estimated at $750,000 (1959 CAD, $781,000 1959 USD). A total of 35 people were killed between Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, mostly fishermen. As a result, the Escuminac disaster, as it came to be known, became the deadliest work-related disaster in New Brunswick. The minister of fisheries considered the event to be "the worst disaster to hit a Canadian fishing fleet in about 100 years". In the days after the storm, the
Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
and
Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal police, federal and national police service of ...
operated search and rescue missions, while families waited on the beach. The
Canadian Red Cross The Canadian Red Cross Society () Due to storm fatalities, 24 adults became widows, and 83 children lost their fathers. As a result, the New Brunswick Fishermen's Disaster Fund was created to assist the families. The fund raised $400,000 in a few months from donations from throughout Canada, as well as
Pope John XXIII Pope John XXIII ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni XXIII; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, ; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death in June 19 ...
and Queen
Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
, the latter who was on a tour of the country at the time. In memory of the storm victims, artist
Claude Roussel Claude Roussel (born 1930) is a Canadian sculptor, painter and educator. Early life and education Roussel was born in 1930 in Edmundston, New Brunswick, Canada. He was 10 years old when he began sculpting wood. At the age of 14, Roussel's arti ...
created a wood sculpture entitled ''Les Pêcheurs – The Fishermen'', which won first prize at
New Brunswick Museum The New Brunswick Museum, located in Saint John, New Brunswick, is Canada's oldest continuing museum. The New Brunswick Museum was incorporated as the "Provincial Museum" in 1929 and received its current name in 1930, but its history goes back muc ...
in 1962. Later, residents near Escuminac raised money to turn the work into a stone monument, which was dedicated on June 19, 1969. It was nearly 7 ft (2.3 m) in height, weighed about 10,000 lbs (5 tonnes), and depicted a group of fishermen working together, with the names of the deceased on a bronze plaque. In 2001, the government of New Brunswick declared the Escuminac Disaster Monument as a provincial historical site.


See also

*
List of Canada hurricanes The list of hurricanes in Canada refers to any tropical cyclone originating in the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean affecting the country of Canada. Canada is usually only hit with weak storms, due to the generally cool waters immediately offshore. Howe ...
*
List of Florida hurricanes (1950–1974) The list of Florida storms from 1950 to 1974 encompasses 85 Atlantic tropical or subtropical cyclones that affected the U.S. state of Florida. Collectively, tropical cyclones in Florida during the time period resulted in about $7.04 billion ( ...


References


External links


Victims of the Escuminac Disaster
{{DEFAULTSORT:Escuminac Hurricane, 1959 1959 Atlantic hurricane season Category 1 Atlantic hurricanes Hurricanes in Canada Hurricanes in Florida 1959 Escuminac Hurricane 1959 in Canada 1959 natural disasters in the United States Natural disasters in New Brunswick Fishing disasters 1959 in Maine 1959 in New Brunswick June 1959 events in Canada 1959 disasters in Canada