Natural disasters in Canada

Canada is greatly affected by a wide range of natural disasters. There is a collection of previous incidences of natural disasters.
Here are some of them:

1935 Timiskaming earthquake

The 1935 Timiskaming Earthquake was a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that occurred on November 1, 1935 in the Abitibi-Temiscamingue region of Quebec.The earthquake had its epicenter on a thrust fault in the Ottawa-Bonnechere Graben, approximately 10 kilometres east of Temiscaming, and occurred at 1:03 a.m. ET.

1700 Cascadia earthquake

The 1700 Cascadia Earthquake was a magnitude 8.7-9.2 megathrust earthquake that occurred in the Cascadia subduction zone in 1700. The earthquake involved the Juan de Fuca Plate underlying the Pacific ocean, from mid-Vancouver Island in southwest Canada off British Columbia to northern California, along the Pacific Northwest coast. The length of the fault rupture was about 1000 kilometers (600 miles) with an average slip of 20 meters.The Cascadia Earthquake caused a tsunami that struck the coast of Japan, and may also be linked to the Bonneville slide.

1894 Fraser Valley flood

The largest flood of British Columbia's Fraser River on record occurred in May 1894, when rapid snowmelt caused river levels to rise dramatically, triggering flooding from Harrison to Richmond. The flood was significant in both height and breadth.

1948 Fraser Valley flood

In 1948, the second largest Fraser River flood of record occurred. By this time, the lower Fraser Valley was a highly developed agricultural area, with commercial and industrial development and the beginnings of residential development. As well, two transcontinental rail lines and the Trans-Canada Highway had been built through the valley, and the province's major airport had been established in Richmond. Personal and financial impact was much greater than in 1894. Thousands of people were displaced and infrastructure, including bridges and roads, was significantly damaged.

1950 Red River flood

The 1950 Red River Flood was a devastating flood that took place in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada on May 8, 1950. In that year, the Red River flooded the Red River Valley. Winnipeg was ill prepared for such a huge swell of water. Eight dikes gave way and flooded much of the city. Four of eleven bridges were destroyed and nearly 70,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes and businesses. Only one person, Lawson Ogg, lost his life to the flood but the final tally in damage was over $600 million.

1986 Winisk flood

On May 16, 1986, the Northern Ontario community of Winisk was completely washed away. A spring ice jam on the Winisk River caused flood waters to reach as far as six kilometers inland, sending every structure but two into Hudson Bay.

1996 Saguenay flood

The Saguenay Flood was a series of flash floods that hit the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada on July 19 and 20, 1996. Problems started after two weeks of constant rain, which severely engorged soils, rivers and reservoirs. The Saguenay region is a geological graben, which increased the effect of the sudden massive rains of July 19, 1996. In the span of a few hours, eleven inches fell on the region, the equivalent to the amount of rain usually received in a month.

1997 Red River flood

The Red River Flood of 1997 was a major flood that occurred in April and May 1997, along the Red River of the North in North Dakota, Minnesota, and Southern Manitoba. It was the most severe flood of the river since 1826. The flood reached throughout the Red River Valley, affecting the cities of Fargo and Winnipeg, but none so greatly as in Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, where floodwaters reached over 3 miles (5 km) inland, inundating virtually everything in the twin communities and causing US$2 billion in damages.

2007 British Columbia flood

In 2007, the province of British Columbia prepared for potential flooding due to record snowpack.

Frank Slide

The Frank Slide is a natural landslide feature in the southern Rocky Mountains of Canada, and a significant historical event in western Canada.

Southern Ontario Tornado Outbreak of 2005

A series of storms on the afternoon of August 19th 2005, spawned tornadoes damaging homes in the Conestoga Lake and Fergus areas, and a possible tornado within the Toronto city limits although this was never officially confirmed by Environment Canada. The storms developed near Stratford, Ontario, and spread as far north as Georgian Bay near Collingwood, Ontario.

Matheson Fire

The Matheson Fire in northern Ontario, Canada was a massive forest fire which had become uncontrolled on July 29, 1916 and killed 200-250 people and burned down six towns including Black River-Matheson, Ontario, Val Gagne, Ontario, Monteith, Ontario, Ramore, Ontario, Cochrane, Ontario and Shillington, Ontario.The fire caused extensive damage in and around Cochrane, Ontario. The approximately 64 kilometre front burned 500,000 acres (2,000 km).Fires set by settlers clearing brush burned out of control during a period when there had not been much rain. Strong winds encouraged the spread of the flames. Some people escaped on the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway, now the Ontario Northland Railway. Others were saved by reaching safety in a river or lake.The fire led to the creation of the Forest Protection Branch of the Department of Lands, Forests and Mines, now known as the Ministry of Natural Resources, and the Forest Fires Prevention Act in Ontario.

2003 Okanagan Mountain Park Fire

On August 16, 2003 a wildfire was started by a lightning strike near Rattlesnake Island in Okanagan Mountain Park in British Columbia, Canada. The wildfire was fuelled by a constant wind and one of the driest summers in the past decade. Within a few days it had grown into a true firestorm.

 

If you are in this area and need to contact the emergency numbers you can call
Ambulance: 911
Fire brigade: 2222
Police: 5555