Environment Canada has released its top 10 weather stories for 2013. Topping the list: Alberta’s flood.
Dubbed the “Flood of floods,” Environment Canada said the overflow was likely the “most disruptive flood in Canadian history.”
The water drenched about one-quarter of Alberta, effecting dozens of communities, with up to 100,000 residents told to leave their homes. Four people were killed.
Flood damages racked up an invoice totalling billions.
Cochrane was fortunate during the flooding, which began June 19. While water levels climbed and rainfall caused some problems, homes remained largely unaffected.
Cochrane’s surrounding areas were not so lucky. Bragg Creek, Redwood Meadows, Kananaskis, Benchlands, the Ghost-Waiparous area, and the Stoney Nakoda First Nation all sustained extensive damage. Many residents are still out of their homes.
Floods proved to be the big newsmakers, taking the top two spots on the list. Ranking behind Alberta’s soggy summer was the flooding in Toronto.
On July 8, the Ontario city was drenched in more rain in two hours — by two separate storm cells — than it routinely receives during the entire month of July.
The rain flooded the city’s roadways, knocked out power and left more than 1,200 people stranded on a commuter train. With water up to the train’s windows, the passengers had to be rescued by Toronto’s first responders.
Rounding out the top 10 stories:
3. “Bumper crops in the West, a rollercoaster for the rest”
4. “To flood or not to flood”
5. “Rebound in the Arctic Ocean and the Great Lakes”
6. “Wicked winter weather wallops the east”
7. “Spring flooding in Ontario’s cottage country”
8. “Prairie winter went on forever”
9.”Stormy seas and maritime tragedy”
10. “Sunny and rainless in BC”
The stories can be viewed in their entirety on the Environment Canada website.
Environment Canada ranks its top weather-related stories based on the degree to which Canada and Canadians were impacted, the extent of the effected area, economic effects and longevity as a top news story.
