Emergency management details threat to city from heat events

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With temperatures pushing document highs virtually each day this week, council heard an unusually well timed presentation about heat-related dangers within the metropolis.

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Sue Henry, head of emergency administration, stated it was the proper time to have the dialog.

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“We’re often months away from the new dry days of summer season and that’s not the case this yr,” she stated. “As you already know, we’re experiencing some very excessive temperatures and situations which can be at or close to document breaking this season.”

Council’s emergency administration committee heard that warmth occasions pose a number of dangers to the town, lots of that are growing with a warming local weather.

Among the many largest dangers that warmth poses are drought and water air pollution from wildfires; Nonetheless, based on officers, the probability of any of this stuff taking place is low.

Different dangers monitored embody excessive warmth occasions, city wildfires and poor air high quality.

‘The long run is smoky’: Poor air high quality is changing into extra frequent

Terri Lang, a warning preparedness meteorologist with Surroundings and Local weather Change Canada, warned that the “future is smoky”, and several other research have proven that because the local weather warms, there can be an elevated threat of wildfires and smoke drifting in from BC.

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A chart on the variety of smog hours Calgary has seen has proven a dramatic rise previously decade, after greater than 60 years of comparatively clear skies.

Between 1953 and 2014, the town by no means noticed greater than 100 smoking hours per yr, and the typical was 12 hours per yr. Since 2015, there have been six years that Calgary exceeded the 100 smoke hour threshold, and three years the place it exceeded 300.

Henry stated emergency administration coordinates when warmth occasions happen. Town is aware of that ER visits go up when susceptible folks — particularly seniors dwelling in bigger buildings — cannot cool off.

“Town’s excessive warmth plan outlines actions that may be taken during times of extended warmth, together with figuring out public cooling areas, public water fountains, water distribution methods and activating social emergency providers to offer in a single day cooling facilities in these essential circumstances,” she stated. .

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Metropolis appears to be like at options for long-term preparedness

Whereas emergency administration is concentrated on the instant results of a warmth wave, the town’s local weather and setting division is taking a look at long-term preparedness throughout a variety of issues, together with increasing the tree cover and planning how and when water restrictions can be imposed.

Daybreak Smith, local weather resilience and adaptation chief for the town’s climate-environment crew, stated her division has provide you with two instruments to assist Calgarians put together, together with a local weather threat index, which reveals how susceptible every group is to local weather change. Additionally they created a Local weather Prepared House program, which offers suggestions on how owners and renters can higher put together their properties for excessive climate occasions.

Councilors additionally heard in regards to the engineering challenges of constructing a extra climate-resilient metropolis.

Shovel. Courtney Walcott requested in regards to the metropolis’s water vans, that are out throughout the hotter months and assist maintain the city tree cover wholesome. He recommended that there is usually a difficult stability between holding timber wholesome and using the town’s restricted water provide.

Smith admitted it is a query they’re grappling with and searching for options.

“Is there a means we are able to create a extra synergistic relationship between one thing like stormwater and concrete timber?” she stated. “And never simply planting timber both, however planting actually strong landscapes.”

brthomas@postmedia.com
Twitter: @brodie_thomas