Online ‘toolkit’ to help communities facing coastal erosion and flooding
A Sackville-based organization has launched a new Internet-based “toolkit” to help people in Atlantic Canada to adapt as the climate crisis results in increasingly erratic weather and rising sea levels.
CLIMAtlantic, a regional hub that provides information to help people deal with the effects of climate change, started operations in 2021 with funding from the federal government.
On Tuesday, the group launched the Coastal Adaptation Toolkit, which is mean to “help Atlantic rural coastal communities and property owners plan for the effects of climate change.”
Users respond to a series of questions about conditions at a specific site, such as as natural or human-made features that may offer some protection from flooding.
The system also queries users about policies that are in place locally, such as an emergency management plan.
The answers to those questions result in an automatically-generated report with a detailed list of possible measures to address the risk of flooding and coastal erosion.
It’s not a substitute for professional advice, but can serve as a first step for people facing extreme weather events like Hurricane Fiona, which hit Atlantic Canada last September.
“This is for educational purposes and information purposes,” said Sabine Dietz, executive director of CLIMAtlantic, in an interview with CHMA.
During the online launch, CLIMAtlantic also screened a new 12-minute documentary highlighting adaptation actions in the region.… Continue
Power failures, uprooted trees and a collapsed warehouse: Hurricane Fiona’s effects on Sackville
In Sackville, Hurricane Fiona caused prolonged power outages as hurricane-force winds knocked down trees and caused at least one building to collapse.
The warehouse on Crescent Street belongs to FRS Flooring Solutions.
“It was still standing Friday night,” said Damon Doncaster, a sales associate with the company. “I went to check on it… I think it was about 11 o’clock on Saturday morning, after I had heard a few rumours that the building had fallen.”
Sure enough, the old storage facility was a wreck.
Listen to Damon Doncaster speaking to CHMA on Tuesday, September 27, 2022:
Firefighters responded to about a dozen calls during the hurricane, according to Craig Bowser, chief of Sackville Fire and Rescue.
“Most of those calls were related to trees down on power lines, or power lines dangling, and we needed to secure an area for public safety,” he said.
Listen to Craig Bowser speaking to CHMA on Tuesday, September 27, 2022:
The Town of Sackville opened the Civic Centre as a warming centre for residents affected by power outages.
But very few people — perhaps just one or two — ended up using it, according to the municipality.
And one elderly Sackville resident said people on Devon Avenue were without power for more than 48 hours.
