Hot, dry conditions expected to continue across Nova Scotia this summer

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Annapolis Royal firefighters Jason Rock, left, and Anthony Lopiandowski spray hot spots in the Birchtown area of Shelburne County Saturday morning. The province's Department of Natural Resources and Renewables said Monday the fire, known as the Barrington Lake fire, was the only one of five active wildfires in Nova Scotia that remained out of control.

Despite recent precipitation helping combat wildfires around Nova Scotia, meteorologists are expecting higher temperatures this month and dry conditions in the summer.

The Department of Natural Resources reported 16 fires in Nova Scotia last week, including more than 20,000 hectares in Barrington Lake, Shelburne Co., another 120 hectares on Lake Road in the Municipality of the District of Shelburne, 160 hectares in Pubnico, Yarmouth Co., more than 800 hectares in Tantallon, and four hectares in Hammonds Plains.

After days of warm to hot temperatures, no rain and high winds, Ian Hubbard, meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), said a weather system pushed down from the north leading to showers last weekend and earlier this week.

This came after low precipitation amounts in the late winter and early spring, Hubbard noted.

"The last few months have been very dry and have been below normal in terms of rainfall amounts pretty well right across all of Nova Scotia as far back as April or March," he said. "The amount of moisture that we’ve been lacking lately, in the past few months, it's quite significant. For the month of May, many areas of mainland Nova Scotia have received 50 per cent or less of the normal amount they would’ve had in that same period."

During this time, Hubbard reported that winds were consistently high, which "played a factor in also helping to dry things out."

For June, Hubbard said the long-range models indicate temperatures will rise but there is a chance of rain.

"It does look like we’re going to get back to a trend where temperatures are expected to be above normal. That's going to continue through, pretty much, the remainder of the month of June," he said. "Looking ahead for the entire month of June, there's a slight probability that we’ll see above normal precipitation for most of Nova Scotia."

Hubbard said the trend of higher temperatures will continue into the summer, but precipitation levels might be lower.

"Further on, into July and August, we’re still expecting to see that trend as well for above normal temperatures, overall, for the next three months," he said. "Right now, it looks like an overall probability of looking at below normal precipitation for that entire period for some parts of Nova Scotia as well."

Dalhousie University professor Kevin Quigley is an expert on provincial, municipal and personal emergency preparedness, specifically risk governance.

The pandemic exposed a housing crisis, and there was a need to construct homes, but the wildfires also exposed the need for proper planning and adequate emergency infrastructure, Quigley noted.

"Emergencies, in a way, don't happen in a moment, they are constructed in time, in terms of how we prepare," he said. "They’re also a function of the demographic society, who is the population that we’re trying to serve, and also their expectations."

Quigley said aging populations (with different needs and mobility and health issues) have increased vulnerabilities.

"If there's a crisis, are they going to be able to evacuate? What kind of additional supports will they need? Are there accessibility issues around wheelchairs and things like that we have to take into account? That's another kind of demographic shift that's happening that raises questions about can we do evacuations appropriately?"

In rural areas where there is less threat to homes, infrastructure and communities, Quigley said there are unique challenges.

"It does still raise questions in rural communities about how you help rural populations because they’re harder to get to, more dispersed, they don't have the services, they don't have the infrastructure, the telecoms are vulnerable," said Quigley. "The number is lower but the need for the individual household level is probably more significant."

Of equal importance to government action like constructing secondary roads, ensuring there are sources of water, creating resilient infrastructure and immediate emergency response is personal responsibility, like education, said Quigley.

"There's maybe also a civic responsibility in this. It's not just about what can government do for me, but what do I have to do to look after myself, but also look after my community," he said. "We need to take a serious look at what happened. We can learn from how we can do better."

Although the wildfires burned out of control for days, Quigley added the response has been positive because it was quick, a command centre was established, people were able to evacuate and there have been no serious injuries or deaths.

Emergency preparations

According to the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables (DNRR) website, there are three steps to follow during emergencies: know the risks, make a plan and prepare an emergency kit.

As far as risks, the DNRR suggests the public think whether they require extra medicine.

The province said a good plan lays out where to find necessities and what must be done during an emergency. They recommend creating a personal support network of at least three trusted people (including someone who lives outside of their area because they probably won't be affected by the same emergency) who agree to help in an emergency by giving them important contact information like cell, home, work or school numbers; telling them where the emergency kit is located; and giving them a key to the home.

The province said the plan should include where to find the fire extinguisher, main water valve, electrical box, gas shut-off and floor drain; contact information for friends and family; plans for looking after pets; information about special health needs; and contact information and instructions for the personal support network. The province strongly suggests keeping a copy of the plan in the emergency kit, at home, in the car and at work.

The province said everyone in the household should know where the emergency kit is located. It should have everything needed to keep healthy for at least 72 hours, and it needs to be easy to carry. They recommend checking the kit twice a year and replacing anything that is out of date.

According to the province, the kit should include at least six litres of water per person (two litres per day); food that won't spoil and can be eaten without cooking, like canned and dry foods (replace the food and water once a year); a manual can opener; first aid supplies; at least a three-day supply of prescription medicines; wind-up or battery-powered flashlights; wind-up or battery-powered radios; batteries for the flashlights and radios; extra house and car key; money in small bills; and copies of important papers like a driver's license, birth certificate and insurance policies.

They also recommend keeping gas tanks as full as possible and keeping cell phones and other electronic devices fully charged.

Those who require the assessment account number or parcel identification number for their property for insurance claim purposes can contact DNRR's Land Programs division by calling 1-800-670-4357 or 1-877-404-0867, and by emailing [email protected].

The DNRR recommends people prepare an inventory of their homes including photos and videos of furniture and other contents in each room in case of a damage claim. For more information, contact the Insurance Bureau of Canada at 1-844-227-5422 or visit www.ibc.ca.

For more information on emergency preparedness, go to https://www.dal.ca/dept/maceachen-institute/research/research_projects/emergency-response-resources/wildfiresevac.html.

Reporter

A graduate of St. Francis Xavier University and a resident of Arichat, Jake Boudrot is an award-winning journalist with decades of experience as a freelancer, reporter and editor representing media outlets across the Maritimes.

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