By Linda Nguyen
TORONTO — The historic spring and summer flooding in the Prairies was the biggest weather story this year, according to Environment Canada.
The massive widespread flooding in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and parts of northern Ontario began after a “weather bomb” in the winter and resulted in surging waters on six large rivers well into July.
According to the weather agency, the floods were the second costliest weather event in Canadian history, following the 1998 ice storm which toppled trees and caused major outages throughout eastern Canada.
As a result, both Lake Manitoba and the Assiniboine River reported water levels not seen in hundreds of years. The Canadian Armed Forces, and even penitentiary inmates, were relied on throughout this period to help lay down sandbags along the riverbanks.
“It was by all accounts, the big story of the year,” said senior climatologist David Phillips, who on Thursday unveiled Environment Canada’s 16th annual Top 10 Weather List. “We use that expression, the flood of the century but hey this could’ve been the flood of the millennium. The flood of all times for sure.”
Phillips said the damage costs topped more than $1 billion.
The weather list is determined by a number of factors including the impact, economic fallout, the area covered and the longevity of the weather event.
It was derived from a list of 138 events this year, including the current balmy wintry conditions many Canadians are currently facing.
Other weather events that made Environment Canada’s list for 2011, include:
Although now it’s suspected arson started the blaze, the fire in Slave Lake, Alta., would not have been as tragic if the weather conditions had not been perfect. Strong winds of up to 100 km/h helped the flames rip through the town, destroying one third of homes and businesses.
In late May, southern Quebec experienced the worst overland flooding in more than a century resulting in hundreds of roads being damaged and thousands of hectares of farmland destroyed.
4. Down on the Farm: Doom to Boom
Farmers across the Prairies were faced with a season of prolonged flooding, which then turned into one of the greatest farming conditions in years.
Last August, an F3 tornado ripped through Goderich, Ont., causing millions of dollars in damage and killing one person. The tornado was just a precursor of what was to come in the next few days when three other tornadoes blew through Ontario.
This year 19 tropical storms formed in the Atlantic Ocean, above the average of 11.
7. Summer: Hummer or Bummer?
In parts of the country this year, such as Quebec and Saskatchewan, temperatures soared with heat and humidity. Those on the West Coast saw summer with “endless rain and overcast or foggy skies.” Even Toronto didn’t see its average number of sticky smog days.
8. Arctic Sea Ice near record low
It was on the list last year and makes an appearance again this year. Environment Canada says the sea ice covering the Artic Ocean plummeted to its second-lowest level on record in September.
In late January, meterologists predicted a severe winter storm would wallop up to 100 million people from New Mexico to Newfoundland. When it finally arrived, most parts of the country only saw 10 cm of snow. The major part of the system struck the U.S.
Records winds, some as strong as 150 km/h, ripped through southern Alberta in November. The property damage, which is still being tabulated, was estimated in the millions.