Hurricane Gustav Storm Summary

On September 12, 2002 Hurricane Gustav passed over Atlantic Canada. With wind speeds of over 120 km/h, Gustav dumped more than 100 millimetres of rain in portions of Nova Scotia while part of Newfoundland received more than 70 millimetres. To learn more about Hurricane Gustav, read the storm highlights and view the pictures below.

• Tropical storm Gustav was upgraded to a hurricane at 11:50 a.m. ADT on September 11, only hours before moving into southwestern Maritime waters.
• September 12, Hurricane Gustav made landfall along the southern coast of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia at 1:30 a.m. ADT.
• Gustav was upgraded from a tropical storm to a hurricane at 11:50 a.m. ADT on Sept 11, only hours before moving into southwestern Maritime waters.
• Normally (50 year average) the North Atlantic would have had three hurricanes by September 11, however, Gustav was the first of this year, making it the latest date for the Atlantic's first hurricane in 60 years.
• Reports of heavy rain, high winds, and minor flooding from storm surge were received from around Atlantic Canada...events which were all warned of well in advance by the Atlantic region weather centres.
• The highest rainfall amounts officially reported were in Nova Scotia where 102 mm fell in Ashdale (a climate station in West Hants County) and 92 mm at Halifax International Airport. All of Nova Scotia received over 50 mm while the New Brunswick rain amounts ranged from 8 mm (Miscou) to 63 mm (Moncton) and the Newfoundland rainfalls ranged from 40 to 70 mm in the north.
• Highest wind speed reports varied across the region... ranging from 89 km/h at Miscou, NB, to 109 km/h at East Point, PEI, to 122 km/h at both St. Paul Island and Sable Island, NS. High wind gusts in parts of Newfoundland of over 100 km/h were still being reported days afterward.
• Storm surge conditions throughout the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence coincided (within a few hours) of a run of high astronomical tides, resulting in localized coastal flooding. A noteworthy point for water levels in Charlottetown is that had the highest surge arrived only four to five hours earlier to coincide exactly with the high tide, an additional 70 cm of elevation would have pushed water levels to near record values resulting in definite flooding of portions of downtown Charlottetown.
• Gustav was downgraded to a post-tropical storm as it exited Nova Scotia and entered Newfoundland on September 12 shortly before 6:30 a.m. NDT.

	Image Descriptions: Storm photos of Hurricane Gustav as it passes over Cheticamp, Nova Scotia on September 12, 2002.

Related Links:

• Environment Canada: Canadian Hurricane Center web site.
• CNN: Hurricane Gustav heads toward Nova Scotia.
• CTV News: Nfld. hit with heavy rain, Gustav leaves land.