After another death due to flash flood: Expert calls for robust warning system – now

WOLFVILLE, NS — A retired Environment Canada meteorologist says it’s high time Nova Scotia worked with the government to build a robust flash flood forecasting, detection and warning system.

Police said Friday that a young man died the night before when he was swept away by a flash flood in a park in Wolfville, New York.

The RCMP said they received a call at 7:30 p.m. that the teen had been pulled into a flooded ditch, and a regional emergency management coordinator said the provincial emergency management office issued flash flood warnings in the area about an hour later.

Jim Abraham, the first director of the Canadian Hurricane Centre, says a well-developed flood warning system would have alerted people to their smartphones much earlier, warning them to seek shelter because of the high risk of flooding.

In his view, this system should also include public awareness campaigns to inform people in areas affected by flash floods both about the risks and about the parts of their neighbourhood that are considered particularly dangerous.

Last year, flooding in the West Hants community left four people dead, including three children, prompting a review that found the community faced several challenges in communicating emergency alerts to the community in a timely manner.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press