| Local Content |
| Written by Robin |
| Wednesday, 30 July 2008 09:01 |
|
By Tony Clarke Sun Times Turning a blind eye to emergency preparedness in the home or workplace is a error made too often by residents. “We have the potential in Lethbridge to have severe snowstorms, thunderstorms, heavy rains, strong winds, which we’ve seen can cause major problems very quickly,” says Mike Ross, deputy chief support services with the Lethbridge Fire Department. Lethbridge typically has warmer winters and plenty of hot summer days compared to many other parts of Canada. But the city is also no stranger to feeling Mother Nature’s wrath. Damaging winds, waist-deep snowfalls, intense thunderstorms, golf ball-size hail, flooding, power outages and even small tornadoes have devastated the area in the past. But despite these repeated blasts of uncontrollable weather, there are still residents who don’t make an effort to be prepared for when an emergency situation occurs. “For whatever reason, a lot of people don’t think about these types of circumstances,” said Ross. “When bad weather hits the area and people are affected, they are extremely caught off guard. There’s a lot of disbelief and they find themselves asking, ‘Where do I go for help?’” Ross has been with the local fire department for 26 years. He is also the current emergency preparedness co-ordinator for the city. The recent Canada Day storm which flooded streets and basements throughout the city, when more than 50 millimetres of rain fell in just under two hours, is a prime example of how fast things can take a turn for the worst. Having a household emergency kit and plan prepared for disastrous situations should be a top priority for residents, he says. “During an emergency, if the home is intact and everyone is safe and not injured, people should be prepared to look after themselves for at least 72 hours.” This allows emergency services to concentrate on individuals who need more immediate attention. “In dramatic situations it could mean the difference between life and death.” A household emergency plan should include escape routes within the home and the neighbourhood, identified exits, and a specified meeting place for people living in the house since everyone may not be together when an emergency occurs. An emergency kit should contain enough water and food to last the 72-hour period. Two litres of water and two to three meals a day for each person in the home is the recommended minimum to have prepared. A first aid kit, flashlight and batteries, manual can opener, battery-operated radio, important medications, extra set of house and car keys, cash and a copy of an emergency plan and contact numbers are other items to include. “I look at having an emergency plan and kit prepared the same as having a working smoke alarm in your house. Both are vital to have in an emergency situation.” More information about emergency preparedness plans, kits and weather risks can be found by visiting www.getprepared.ca. The recent string of storms has left many home and property owners in the Lethbridge area with the headache of having to repair or replace destroyed siding, roofing and damage to the structure caused by fierce winds and falling trees. Bu there have been severe weather disasters in previous decades that affected the entire city. Longtime residents will remember the “Storm of ’67” which brought Lethbridge to a standstill. From April 27-29,1967, nearly 100 centimetres of snow fell, with 52.8 cms of the white stuff hitting the ground on April 28; a one-day record which stills stands today. Roofs collapsed, snowplows were trapped, services were stalled and people were abandoned or stranded at airports, in their cars along highways or in their homes. “No one was really prepared for a storm like that because of the time of year,” said Roy Miles, who at the time was a 41-year-old Lethbridge resident. “I lived on the corner of 18 Street and 13 Avenue North and the snow was so deep in some places, it was as high as cars.” If any type storm was to hit the city today, causing long-term power failure or trapping people inside their homes, Miles says he has put together enough water, food, utensils, batteries and a flashlight for himself to survive at least a week in his home. But he believes many others are not prepared to handle such an emergency. “You never know when storms hit, so you have to be ready.” The “100-year Flood” in 1995, which saw the Oldman River rise so high it forced the closure of the bridges on Whoop-Up Drive and Highway 3, was another weather-related disaster to hit the city. Residents needing to use either bridge to get to west or south Lethbridge were forced to travel 40 minutes out of their way and use the Nolan Bridge between Picture Butte and Coaldale. The flooding was triggered by 200 millimetres of rain falling in just 36 hours, accompanied with snow melting in the mountains. Thousands volunteered to fill sand bags while city and emergency services employees worked around the clock to try and minimize damage. More recent, an F1 tornado was confirmed by Environment Canada to have touched down in the Vulcan area during a severe thunderstorm on July 15. While the Lethbridge area has never experienced a major tornado like the ones in Edmonton and Pine Lake that killed dozens of people, it doesn’t mean it can’t happen here. The Edmonton tornado was a powerful and devastating twister that ripped through the eastern part of Edmonton and parts of neighbouring Strathcona County on the afternoon of Friday, July 31, 1987, also known as “Black Friday.” The F4 tornado remained on the ground for an hour, cutting a path of destruction 40 kilometres long and up to 3,000 feet wide in places. The tornado killed 27 people, injured more than 300 people, destroyed more than 300 homes, and caused more than $330 million in property damage at four major disaster sites. The loss of life, injuries and destruction of property made it the worst natural disaster in Alberta history and one of the worst in Canada. On July 14, 2000, an F3 tornado tore through the Green Acres Campground at Pine Lake in central Alberta killing 12 people and critically injuring more than 100 others. The tornado formed out of a severe thunderstorm which started on the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies and moved rapidly eastward. It touched down about five km west of the campground and was on the ground for approximately 20 km. Weather watchers reported hail as large as baseballs with the storm. Brian Proctor, a warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment Canada, says during the summer months, residents living anywhere across the three Prairie provinces should be aware there’s always the possibility when a big storm hits that a big-strength tornado could come with it. “People living in these provinces should always be prepared for this,” says Proctor. “And when people get a tornado warning in their area, they should seek shelter immediately.” If you are at home, he adds, go to the basement and into a room with several walls separating you from the exterior of the house. If you’re not at home, avoid large open areas such as gymnasiums and malls. If you’re in a vehicle during a tornado, the bottom line is get out and try to make yourself small by crawling into a ditch, he says. “Never stay in the vehicle. When an F5 tornado hit Elie, Manitoba last June, a car was thrown a kilometre away from where it was picked up.” |
How to upload a photo
- Login or Register (Click the "Create an Account" link under the Login button to register a new account)
- Complete the registration
- Click the "My Alberta Vacation Photo Upload" link in the "User Menu Field"
- Submit your photo by clicking the "Browse" to locate the photo file from your computer
- Click the "Upload" button to upload the file
*NOTE: Please allow 24 hours before photos are uploaded for rating
How to rate a photo
- Login or Register (Click the "Create an Account" link under the Login button to register a new account)
- Click the picture you would like to rate
- Click the number of stars to rate the photo
Polls
Please Login
| Performance to help provide funds for film project 01/09/2010 | Richard Amery for the Sun Times Average Joe’s/Joe’s Garage has a busy week, beginning on Thursday, Sept. 2, with Lethbridge’s own version of Said the Whale — Jesse and the Dandelions — who are pla [ ... ] |
| Thanks for the memories 18/08/2010 | Dave Sulz, Sun Times It was a night of Montreal Expos nostalgia last Wednesday at the Lethbridge Lodge. |
