Take Shelter Emergency Response If you are camping in a tent, it is important to remember REMEMBER, severe weather is unpredictable and most that tents offer no protection from lightning. If you have often strikes without warning. time, run to your car, get inside, roll up the windows and To assist emergency personnel, remember to: PROTECT do not touch anything metal. If your car is parked near trees, move it to an open space. If a cabin or a camper • Listen to and obey all staff instructions. is available, get inside but don’t touch any electrical • Stay calm and be patient. appliances, as lightning may travel through these objects. • Take only essential personal items (identification, YOURSELF If you cannot get to a car or a cabin, leave your tent cash, keys, medication, personal/baby care products, and squat down away from any trees with only your first aid/emergency kit) and pets. feet touching the ground. Do not seek shelter under tall trees as this will significantly increase your risk of being Severe Weather struck by lightning. in Tornadoes Provincial Parks These devastating wind storms form suddenly, are often preceded by warm, humid weather and are always produced by thunderstorms. Do not follow tornadoes in your car or attempt to take photographs of them. If you see a , take shelter immediately. signs include the following: • An extremely dark sky, sometimes highlighted by green or yellow clouds. • A rumbling or whistling sound. • A funnel cloud at the rear base of a thundercloud, often behind a curtain of heavy or hail. Take shelter – Cabins offer little or no protection from After Severe Weather tornadoes. Leave your RV, Be prepared to ensure your own safety. Emergency tent, cabin or campsite Personnel may not be able to get to your area immediately. Take shelter in immediately. a sturdy building and if there are no buildings nearby, lie Administer emergency care to injured family and friends. down in a low area, covering If additional care is required please try to contact 911 or your head and the back of the local park office for assistance. your neck. • Stay away from power lines and puddles that have Do not try to outrun the electrical wires in them. storm. If you can, wrap some • Watch for broken glass, nails and other sharp objects. clothing or a blanket around • Stay out of any heavily damaged buildings as they your body, as even small could collapse at any time. objects can cause serious • Use flashlights rather than matches or lighters, in case damage when propelled by there are leaking propane pipes or fuel tanks nearby. tornado winds. Do not take • When phone lines are available for public use, call shelter under your trailer, in your family’s emergency contacts to let them know what happened, that you are safe and how to contact your vehicle, near big trees, #SaskParks or under highway bridges and you. Park Watch: 1-800-667-1788 overpasses. saskparks.com Severe Weather in Provincial Parks

Watch the Skies Be Prepared For More Information Severe weather conditions often develop Pack a “72 Hour” emergency kit. Local weather and warnings weather.gc.ca Your kit should include food, clothing, blankets, during our summers. Thunder, lightning, hail or download their Weather App and even tornadoes can develop quickly and medication, bottled water, first aid and tool kits, as well as flashlights and a battery-powered radio, with extra have the potential to be extremely dangerous. batteries for both. You should have enough supplies in Provincial emergency alerts During severe weather, assistance from your kit to last 72 hours. Download SaskAlert app emergency personnel will vary depending Boating Safety Prepare for severe weather on the location. Weather conditions and • Always check the weather forecast before you go www.getprepared.gc.ca the number of park visitors will also affect boating. emergency response times. That is why it’s • Never go out in a boat during a storm Alert Ready important that you protect yourself when • If you are on the water and you see a storm You may also receive an alert on your approaching, head for shore immediately. device from ’s national emergency severe weather threatens. alert system. The following information will help ensure Thunderstorms your personal safety. Thunderstorms are common on the prairies. They are Emergency Contact Information often accompanied by hail, lightning, high winds, heavy Emergency: 911 rain and occasionally, tornadoes. Park Watch (24 hrs): 1-800-667-1788 Look for the signs Report : 1-800-667-9660 Hot and/or muggy days and warm nights indicate that Lightning – No aspect of severe summer weather TIP (Turn in Poachers/Polluters): 1-800-667-7561 thunderstorms may be forming, so be prepared. Always presents more of a danger than lightning. To estimate how far away lightning is, count Once emergency services are notified, keep your eye on the sky and watch for the possible then advise park office of situation. development of thunderstorms. the seconds between the flash of lightning and the thunderclap. If you count fewer than 30 seconds, Listen for the warnings take shelter. Remain sheltered for Environment Canada monitors the weather. If a severe 30 minutes after hearing the last storm is on the horizon, the weather service issues thunderclap. If you are far from watches, advisories and warnings through national, shelter and you feel your hair stand regional and local radio and television stations and on end, lightning may be about Environment Canada’s Weatheradio. Weather Watch to hit you. Squat on the ground – conditions are favourable for a severe storm, even immediately, with feet together; place though one has not developed. This is usually issued your hands on your knees and bend early in the day. Keep monitoring weather conditions forward. Don’t lie flat. If your group #SaskParks and listen for updated statements. Weather Warning – is in an open space, spread out, Park Watch: 1-800-667-1788 severe weather is happening or hazardous weather is keeping people several yards apart. saskparks.com highly probable. 2019_v1