Hurricane Hazel swept the U.S. Eastern Seaboard in mid-October 1954, eventually landing in the record books as one of the most deadly and enduring
hurricanes. After punishing Haiti with mudslides that killed hundreds, Hazel edged northward, striking the Carolina coast as a ferocious category four. Landfall occurred near the
South Carolina-
North Carolina border, where a massive surge washed over barrier beaches and swept away hundreds of homes. Coastal communities like Myrtle Beach, Long Beach, Carolina Beach, and Wrightsville Beach caught the brunt of the storm tide and suffered heavy damages. Hazel barreled inland and battered eastern North Carolina with 100-plus mile-per-hour gusts that toppled trees and power lines and peeled away rooftops. It then raced northward setting new wind records across seven states. In Ontario, it spawned flash floods that became the most deadly in Canadian history. When it was all over, Hazel had killed more than 1,000 and left a trail of destruction across the hemisphere. But nowhere was its impact more dramatic than in the Carolinas.
Background Information
North Carolina, part of the Deep South, was the scene of important battles in the Revolutionary and Civil wars. South Carolina was second youngest of the 13 original colonies and led the movement for secession that led to Civil War.
