On the evening of 28 September 2003 the people of Nova Scotia and Prospect waited for the arrival of hurricane Juan. The storm had gained and lost its strength so many times, that no one knew what to expect.

Hurricane Juan started off the coast of Africa progressing through the stages from tropical storm into a full blown hurricane. By 3 am Sunday morning weather stations announced that Juan had sustained winds of 167 km/h making the storm a category 2 hurricane, and it was heading right for the mouth of Halifax Harbour.

Peter Bowyer, Program Manager of the Canadian Hurricane Centre stated at 12:10 am ADT, Monday 29 September 2003 that hurricane Juan made landfall in Nova Scotia between Shad Bay and Prospect. It arrived as a Category 1 storm.

Prospect was at the centre of the storm, and the village took a beating that night. When day broke the villagers saw the destruction of every single wharf and shed (except the red shed of the Coolen family in the Cove), all washed up and straddling the shore line of the inner cove not able to get past the bridge.