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Felix originated over the Cape Verde Islands on August 8, 1995. It intensified to a category four hurricane with maximum winds of 220 km/h.
On August 15, when Felix was more than 1300 km southwest of Halifax and heading towards the eastern United States, the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia was “surprised” by dangerous surf and tidal rips during an otherwise calm and sunny day. Two days earlier, when Hurricane Felix was more than 1600 km south of Halifax, it generated enormous northward-moving waves. Despite Felix’s subsequent turn towards the northwest the waves pushed inexorably northward as they decayed. Because of the energy in the original waves, there was still enough energy to result in long period waves as high as 8 metres moving into the coastline, putting on quite a show but also creating nearly impossible swimming conditions, resulting in beach closures by municipal lifeguards.
Rainfall image map of Hurricane Felix, which after threatening the eastern United States Felix did a “loop-de loop” offshore before eventually tracking northeast and through Canadian waters on August 21-22, 1995. Felix then moved south of Newfoundland’s Avalon Peninsula on August 22, 1995, eventually moving out into the Atlantic, where it weakened and dissipated on August 25, 1995. Maximum provincial rainfalls: 87 millimetres in Newfoundland
After threatening the eastern United States Felix did a “loop-de loop” offshore before eventually tracking northeast and through Canadian waters on August 21-22, at which point the winds were tropical storm force at 111 km/h. Hurricane Felix tracked south of Newfoundland’s Avalon Peninsula on August 22 and became extratropical. Southeastern Newfoundland received between 15 and 40 mm of rain while Nova Scotia escaped the storm as it passed.
Canadian NOMAD buoys near the path of Felix generally reported near hurricane force gusts and maximum wave heights of 15 m to the northwest of Felix and up to 27.5 m to the southeast of Felix. The storm was tracked out into the Atlantic where it weakened and dissipated on August 25. The CHC issued 13 Hurricane Information Statements.
Post Tropical Storm Felix started tracking in the Canadian Hurricane Centre response zone along the east coast south of Nova Scotia. It then turned northeast along the Atlantic coast with 48 knot winds east of storm centre. It moved southeast close to the Avalon Peninsula and out into the Atlantic. As it tracked through Atlantic Canada the storm reached a maximum wind speed of 55 knots, with an mslp of 988 millibar
August 16, 1995
- Lawrencetown Beach was closed due to fast-moving, two-story high waves even though Felix was still about 1,900 km to the south (HH)
- At Osborne Head, pounding waves sent stones and gravel sailing at passing cars (HH)
August 18, 1995
- Storm moved out over sea and Nova Scotia escaped damage (ET)
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