February 7, 2008
DAMAGE ESTIMATE FROM JUNE WINDSTORMS, TORNADOS APPROACHES $4 MILLION; SEVERE WEATHER WORKING GROUP PRESENTS REPORT
– – –Province and Association of Manitoba Municipalities Work Together To Better Prepare Manitobans For Severe Weather Emergencies: Ashton
Revised damage estimates from last summer’s June 22 and 23 weekend tornados and windstorms are approaching $4 million and have surpassed the minimum threshold for federal cost-sharing required under the national Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Steve Ashton, minister responsible for emergency measures, announced today.
“The province has already provided upwards of $300,000 in financial assistance to individuals and municipalities and we hope to hear positive news about federal contributions to this event,” said Ashton. “The $4 million estimate includes a significant cleanup of Whiteshell Provincial Park.”
The June 22 F5 tornado in Elie, the most severe classification, destroyed four homes and damaged several others. There were also reports of damage in the rural municipalities of Portage la Prairie, Grey and MacDonald. On June 23, part of the same storm system caused widespread damage in several rural municipalities and the Whiteshell Provincial Park.
Ashton also noted progress in discussions with the federal government regarding changes to the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFA). There will be an increased assistance rate for municipalities using their own equipment during disaster recovery. The federal government will now recognize a rate of 40 per cent of the heavy construction equipment rate. The minister said Manitoba recently announced the province would recognize a rate of 65 per cent but was pleased the federal government was moving part way to that threshold.
“We are also pleased that Ottawa will be changing the process so provincial and territorial jurisdictions recover federal dollars faster than the current system provides,” Ashton said. Provinces currently pay out all disaster assistance funds to recipients and then wait for Ottawa to approve
cost-shared amounts and forward funds.
cost-shared amounts and forward funds.
The minister also released the report of the Severe Weather Working Group, designed to help Manitobans and municipal emergency officials be better prepared for and respond to weather alerts from Environment Canada. “The report contains eight practical, workable recommendations,” Ashton said.
“One of the key aims of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) is strengthening the overall emergency management capacity of municipalities and enhancing the safety of Manitobans, and we were pleased to work with EMO on this report for the minister,” explained Ron Bell, AMM president. “We are also extremely encouraged to see the improvements to the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangement and look forward to seeing the enhancements in emergency preparedness that this report can help to achieve.”
Last summer, the minister directed the Emergency Measures Organization to work with the AMM in exploring ways to increase the reach and effectiveness of Environment Canada’s severe weather alerts and to assist other partners in emergency management with their response activities resulting from severe weather warnings.
The working group investigated lessons learned from severe weather emergencies in Manitoba and made eight recommendations to better prepare people and agencies in the event of severe weather emergencies. Recommendations focus on increasing severe weather awareness for Manitobans at all levels. This includes general public education and more information in the classroom as well as increased training for municipal officials and institutions such as schools, day-care centres and personal-care homes.
“We also look forward to Ottawa taking action on a recent commitment to develop a national public alerting system by 2010,” said Ashton. “Manitoba has called for this concept for some time.”
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