Storm Season

Live Atlantic tropical systems from the US National Hurricane Center, with Nova Scotia's season calendar, a South Shore prep list, and who to call when the power and water go out.

On the South Shore the storms that reach us almost always arrive in September, usually as powerful post-tropical systems — still capable of hurricane-force gusts, storm surge and days-long power cuts.

No active tropical cyclones in the Atlantic right now.

That is the whole story today — a quiet ocean. National Hurricane Center data, as of August 23 at 10:50 p.m..

Official warnings come from Environment Canada and NS Alert

This page shows the US National Hurricane Center's basin-wide track data — useful for seeing what's coming, but not a local warning. Watches, warnings and evacuation orders for Lunenburg come from Environment and Climate Change Canada and the province's emergency alert system. Follow these for any local decision: Canadian Hurricane Centre (Environment Canada) · Nova Scotia Emergency Alert

The season, on a calendar

Hurricane season is under way.

Period	When
Hurricane season	June 1 – November 30	now
Local peak	September 1 – October 15

Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. Nova Scotia almost always sees these systems after they have turned post-tropical — the wind, surge and outages are real all the same. The South Shore's worst hits have all landed in September.

Post-tropical storm Lee, September 2023 — the benchmark on this coast

Lee came ashore in southwest Nova Scotia on the afternoon of September 16, 2023. In Lunenburg the wind gusted to 107 km/h; in neighbouring Mahone Bay the water rose about 1.5 m above the normal high tide and flooded Main Street. The District mayor said it hit the shoreline harder than any storm in fifty years — harder, along the water, than Hurricane Juan.

Nova Scotia Power counted 277,000 customers knocked out across the province, and thousands on the South Shore stayed dark for days. The lesson residents drew: plan for the power and water to be out longer than the storm itself, and watch the harbour, not just the wind.

Before a storm — a resident’s list

Charge phones and power banks while you still have power — outages here can run for days, not hours.
Keep several days of drinking water on hand; if you're on the town water system, fill jugs and the bathtub before the storm.
Bring in or tie down anything loose on decks, docks and in yards — furniture, bins, boats and gear become missiles in the wind.
If you're near the harbour or a low shore, know your flood risk: in 2023 the worst of it came up the waterfront, not down the streets.
Keep a battery radio, flashlights and some cash — pumps, ATMs and card machines all need power.
Have a few days of food that needs no cooking, and refill prescriptions early.
Check on older neighbours, and remember the ER may be closed when you need it — know the nearest open one before the storm.
After it passes, stay well clear of downed lines and report them: in town to the Town's after-hours dispatch, outside town to Nova Scotia Power.

Who to call

911

Life-threatening emergencies — fire, police or ambulance

Phone: 911

Town after-hours emergency dispatch

Power outages and urgent town matters in town, outside office hours — the town runs its own electric utility

Phone: 902-527-0150

Nova Scotia Power

Outages for addresses on the NS Power grid — most of the surrounding District (MODL), not the town utility

Phone

Storm data: National Hurricane Center (NOAA), US public-domain data, as of August 23 at 10:50 p.m.. This page shows the NHC’s structured fields only — full advisories are at nhc.noaa.gov. It is not an alerting service.

Storm Season

Storm Season

About these tools

The season, on a calendar

Post-tropical storm Lee, September 2023 — the benchmark on this coast

Before a storm — a resident’s list

Who to call