HURRICANE JUAN: THE TERRIBLE STORM YV Introduction The year 2003 will definitely go down their wharves, sheds and gear; some lost Focus in history as a challenging one for their boats. Of the estimated $100- This News in Re- Canada. British Columbia faced two million dollar loss in Nova Scotia, $40- view module looks at the impact of different natural disasters: the most million was to farms and fisheries. Hurricane Juan, destructive forest fires in its history At the height of the storm, approxi- which came ashore during the summer, and severe floods in mately 300 000 Nova Scotia homes near Halifax, Nova western portions of the province in the were without power. Nova Scotia Scotia, shortly after fall. The Prairies dealt with another year Power did not fully restore hydro until midnight on Sep- of drought or near-drought, grasshopper October 12, adding to the frustration for tember 29, 2003. We examine the infestations, and the severe economic many residents. preparedness of fallout of a single case of mad cow Once again, as during the B.C. forest Nova Scotia for the disease. Ontario was shaken by not one fires, Canadian Forces personnel were storm, and the but two outbreaks of SARS in its hospi- brought in to assist local officials with physical and eco- tals. And, at the end of September, to the clean-up. The federal government nomic effects of its devastation. We make sure that no one felt left out, the provided 1000 members of the army also look at how Maritimes—especially Nova Scotia and and navy to aid in clearing downed hurricanes are Prince Edward Island—were battered trees to enable hydro crews to do their formed, and look by the most damaging hurricane to hit job. back at Hurricane the country since Hurricane Hazel in The storm swept on through Truro Hazel, the most damaging hurri- 1954. into Prince Edward Island, where it cane to ever hit Hurricane Juan came ashore near continued to do damage—especially to Canada. Halifax shortly after midnight on Sep- trees—and left about half the island’s tember 29. Residents had been warned households without power. Despite the that the hurricane was on its way, but storm the province went ahead with its YV Sections the expectation was that it would arrive provincial election on September 29. marked with this as a Category 1 storm, the weakest The chief electoral officer, Merrill symbol indicate content suitable for category, and that damage would not be Wigginton, had to use a chainsaw to younger viewers. severe. What arrived was a Category 2 clear his driveway so he could get to his storm with higher winds and a higher office to supervise the election. Despite storm surge than anticipated. the difficulties, 83 per cent of eligible The destruction was breathtaking. voters cast their ballots, and gave Halifax, a city known for the number Conservative premier Pat Binns his and beauty of its old-growth trees, lost third majority. thousands of specimens. The Public Nova Scotians, in particular, have Gardens, a park truly loved by the city’s been left with a number of questions in residents, was almost totally flattened. the aftermath of Hurricane Juan. Why Hospitals, schools, and homes were did so many people underestimate the damaged. Boats sank in the harbour. force of the storm? Even forecasters Wharves, boardwalks and sidewalks seem to have downplayed its potential were destroyed. for destruction, and the media failed to Farms and fisheries also suffered. convey the potential seriousness of the Silos and barns were destroyed, and event. Most of the public appeared to animals were killed. Many fishers lost remain blasé even when the true inten- CBC News in Review • November 2003 • Page 6 sity of the storm became apparent. Even For many Nova Scotians, however, Quote if Juan had been taken more seriously, the biggest issue is how the recovery is “It was heaven could the amount of damage have been going to be funded, and how soon the here, and then it was hell. Some day reduced? money is going to be available. Many it will be heaven There are also questions about the farmers and fishers are especially again.” Hurricane cleanup and the restoration of power vulnerable, with little or no insurance. Juan survivor — that remain to be answered. Why did it Lobster fishers who lost boats and Toronto Star, take so long for many homes to be equipment are among the worst off. The October 5, 2003 reconnected? Why was it so difficult to season opens at the end of November, get accurate information from Nova and they have little time left before it Scotia Power (a failure that Nova Scotia begins to replace equipment. Bank- Power admits in a recent report)? ruptcy is staring many of them in the Another important question involves face. future preparedness. The Maritime The Nova Scotia government has provinces are on a pathway that hurri- promised $10-million in assistance, and canes often follow. While severe storms is waiting to hear from Ottawa about do not often make landfall in the how much they can expect. With the Maritimes, the possibility of future many demands that the federal govern- storm activity remains. How can Envi- ment is facing for disaster relief this ronment Canada, local governments, year, few are willing to predict how and the media better prepare for such large the contribution will be. All hope events? that some of it will at least begin to flow soon. Discussion Many of the victims of Hurricane Juan were inadequately insured—some be- cause they were unable to get insurance, others because they couldn’t afford it. As governments plan their disaster relief contributions, should they take vic- tims’ lack of insurance into account in deciding the amount of aid for which they are eligible? Carefully outline the major arguments for and against public funding for disaster relief. CBC News in Review • November 2003 • Page 7 HURRICANE JUAN: THE TERRIBLE STORM YV Video Review This video review is Part I in two parts. Part I Answer the following questions in the space provided. is a series of recall 1. How many days before Hurricane Juan hit did the Canadian Hurricane questions to be Centre warn Nova Scotia that the storm was coming? completed during an initial viewing of the video. Part II should be com- 2. How do most residents of the province seem to have reacted to the warning? pleted following a second viewing of the video, with 3. When was a state of emergency declared for Halifax? discussion to fol- low. 4. What were the two major worries of the local power company? Did you know . Some captains and crews risked their 5. How many people were killed during the storm? _______________________ lives by staying in their vessels during 6. What happened to the staff at the hurricane centre in Dartmouth during the hurricane in the height of the storm? order to try to protect their prop- erty? 7. What two major rural Nova Scotia industries were hard-hit by Hurricane Juan? _______________________________ and __________________________________ 8. What is the anticipated total cost of the damage done by Hurricane Juan in Nova Scotia alone? Part II During a second viewing of the video, pay particular attention to those com- ments dealing with how prepared residents were to deal with a destructive hurricane. What does the video indicate was the level of preparedness of each of the following? 1. The average resident of Nova Scotia 2. Environment Canada 3. Information sources in the media 4. The government CBC News in Review • November 2003 • Page 8 Discussion Did you know . 1. Which images of the destruction caused by Juan do you find most strik- Powerful Hurricane ing? Why? Juan stirred up Halifax harbour so much that it washed up several pieces of live ammunition that had been on the harbour floor since 2. Why do you feel so many residents of Nova Scotia were unaware of the the Second World severity of the storm that was about to hit them? War? 3. Who holds the ultimate responsibility for a community’s level of prepared- ness for natural disasters like Hurricane Juan? 4. Had Nova Scotia residents had a heightened awareness of the likely dam- age from Hurricane Juan, would it have altered some of the results of this disastrous storm? Explain. CBC News in Review • November 2003 • Page 9 HURRICANE JUAN: THE TERRIBLE STORM The Life Cycle of Hurricanes Hurricanes are part of a category of The annual hurricane season runs from Further Research storms properly known as tropical June 1 to November 30, when warmer As one might cyclones. The name hurricane is given water encourages storm formation. The expect, interested students will find to those storms that take form in the storms that batter eastern North excellent informa- Atlantic Ocean, and the word itself America form in three different areas, tion on hurricanes comes from the Carib Indian word depending on the time of year: the Gulf on the Internet. For hurican, which refers to the tribe’s god of Mexico at the beginning of the junior students, of evil. Many etymologists (people who season; the eastern Atlantic in mid- Dan Falk’s “Na- study the origins of words) believe that season; and the Caribbean in late sea- ture’s Fury” on the CBC Web site at hurican is in turn derived from the son. The most dangerous storms tend to www.cbc.ca/news/ name of a Mayan god, who created dry form mid-August through mid-October. indepth/weather/ land by blowing on the oceans.