Energized by ocean temperatures that were three to five degrees above normal, the howling Category 2 hurricane brought sustained winds of 152 kilometres per hour amid driving rain
HALIFAX — Chris Fogarty remembers the moment 20 years ago when he transmitted a weather bulletin warning that hurricane Juan would make landfall near Halifax, churning out gusts at 140 kilometres per hour.
That sense of complacency stands in sharp contrast to today. In the two decades since Juan made landfall on the morning of Sept. 29, 2003, the East Coast has been lashed by several intense tropical storms, including Igor in 2010, Arthur in 2014, Dorian in 2019 and last fall, Fiona, the most costly weather event in the region's history.
. At one point, a weather station atop a lighthouse in Halifax harbour recorded a gust at 176 km/h. Ships nearby recorded even higher wind speeds as the harbour heaved upward, destroying boardwalks and damaging boats. Roofs were torn off, billboards were stripped clean and more than 140,000 Nova Scotians were left in the dark. Across the Halifax region, streets were littered with tree limbs, smashed vehicles, dangling power lines and heaps of shingles and siding. More damage was reported in P.E.I., where Juan dropped below hurricane strength.