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Articles on Hurricane Fiona

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A motorist stops to survey the damage to a washed-out roadway near McKay Section, N.S. on July 23, 2023. A long procession of intense thunderstorms dumped record amounts of rain across a wide swath of Nova Scotia, causing flash flooding, road washouts and power outages. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

Flood risk mapping is a public good, so why the public resistance in Canada? Lessons from Nova Scotia

Public concerns for real estate value, and a focus on the self, make flood risk maps unpopular. However, these concerns should not dissuade governments from providing resources we can all trust.
Hurricane Lee became the busy 2023 hurricane season’s first Category 5 storm and one of the most intense hurricanes on record in the Atlantic Ocean. (NOAA via AP)

Hurricane Lee: How studying hurricane Fiona’s legacy in Atlantic Canada can help us better prepare for future storms

Can Hurricane Fiona give us a hint about what future climate change might bring to Eastern Canada? Unravelling this question could lie in understanding ancient storm records.
Damaged buildings sit in the water along the shore following Hurricane Fiona in Rose Blanche-Harbour Le Cou, N.L. in September, 2022. Fiona left a trail of destruction across much of Atlantic Canada. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

Canadians are unprepared for natural hazards. Here’s what we can do about it

As extreme weather events increase in frequency and severity, many Canadians are still unaware of how to prepare for a natural disaster.
The Sudbury 17 wildfire burns east of Mississagi Provincial Park near Elliot Lake, Ont., in this June 4, 2023 handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry

Canada urgently needs a FEMA-like emergency management agency

Creating a federal agency — let’s call it the Emergency Management Agency of Canada or EMAC — would support comprehensive emergency management as Canada faces more and more natural disasters.
Hurricane Fiona drenched places like Salinas across Puerto Rico in September 2022. AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo

More than 60% of Puerto Ricans seeking FEMA aid after Hurricane Maria had their applications denied – will the agency approve more this time?

Within two weeks of Hurricane Fiona, FEMA had accepted most Puerto Rican housing aid applications. Nearly all those early approvals cover only $700 in assistance and won’t pay the tab for rebuilding.
Buildings sit in the water along the shore following Hurricane Fiona in Rose Blanche-Harbour Le Cou, Nfld. Fiona left a trail of destruction across much of Atlantic Canada. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

On the brink: Global crises ranging from climate to economic meltdown demand radical change

Amid a number of major crises, the world clearly needs radical change. But what will it look like? The desire to return to pre-pandemic ‘normal’ is powerful, but ‘normal’ is what got us where we are today.
An army officer speaks with a firefighter amidst destroyed homes in Channel-Port aux Basques, N.L., on Sept. 26, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

Fiona was one of Canada’s worst natural disasters, but evacuations prevented greater losses in Atlantic Canada

Evacuations can save lives, as in the case of post-tropical cyclone Fiona. As more frequent extreme weather events are set to occur, it is important to have evacuation plans in place.
A tree knocked down by post-tropical storm Fiona leans against a house in Sydney, N.S. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Vaughan Merchant

Lessons from Fiona: Global collaboration is key to preparing for future hurricanes

Hurricane Fiona is the most devastating storm to hit Atlantic Canada. International collaboration between ocean measurement institutions is necessary to help efficiently plan responses to hurricanes.
A worker cuts an electricity pole downed by Hurricane Fiona in Cayey, Puerto Rico, on Sept. 18, 2022. AP Photo/Stephanie Roja

Puerto Rico’s vulnerability to hurricanes is magnified by weak government and bureaucratic roadblocks

Hurricane Fiona will set back efforts to restore Puerto Rico that date back five years to Hurricane Maria. Two scholars explain how the island’s weak institutions worsen the impacts of disasters.

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