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Emergency Officials Prepare For Dorian

Saint John, NB, Canada / 97.3 The Wave
News
Sep 6, 2019 | 6:00 PM


Emergency Officials Prepare For Dorian

Kevin Clifford, chief of the Saint John Fire Department, speaks to reports on Sept. 6, 2019. (Photo: Brad Perry/Wave News)

Emergency officials in New Brunswick are preparing for whatever Hurricane Dorian may bring to the province.

Forecasters are calling for up to 90 millimetres of rain and wind gusts up to 90 kilometres per hour in southern and southeastern New Brunswick.

The rain is expected to begin on Saturday morning and come to an end by Sunday morning.

Kevin Clifford, chief of the Saint John Fire Department, said the city can usually handle up to 100 millimetres of rain without any major issues.

“If we get 100 millimetres of rain or above 100 millimetres of rain, we get high winds and a high tide, that can create some grief for us in our community,” said Clifford on Friday afternoon.

Clifford said the most critical time will be around 7:30 p.m. Saturday, which is when the rain, wind, tide and storm surge will be high.

Storm basins are cleared to ensure they are ready for the rain, arbourists are on standby to clean up any downed trees, and shelters are ready to be set up if needed, he said.

Unlike this spring’s flooding, Clifford said the city will not be making any sandbags available to residents.

“[With storm surges], it’s highly unlikely that the sandbag would be effective,” he said. “The City of Saint John is not comfortable providing sandbags because we don’t have total confidence that people would be safe deploying them.”

Drivers are asked to use caution when driving and to observe barricades in the event of road closures.

People are also asked to stay away from shorelines and beaches as strong winds can cause heavy waves.

“It’s not like some of the video games where you can start over,” Clifford said. “If you get too close to the water and it takes you out to sea, you don’t stand a good chance of surviving.”

As of 4 p.m. Friday, the Saint John EMO activated to Level 1-Enhanced Monitoring.

69 powerline technicians from NB Power are ready to assist should the lights go out and most of the crews are positioned mainly in the southeast region.

At the New Brunswick Emergency Management Organization briefing in Fredericton on Friday, spokesperson Marc Belliveau said they also have 20 vegetation crews and they are securing contractors to assist as well.

Marc Belliveau says the potential for power outages is greater in Grand Manan, St. Stephen, Rothesay, Sussex, Moncton and Bouctouche.

“Our infrastructure’s in good shape but, it can’t withstand everything all the time. When you are getting 100-kilometre-an-hour winds there is absolutely nothing that can fight a 50-foot tree falling on a wire.” Belliveau said.

Provincial EMO Director Greg MacCallum urging New Brunswickers to plan for safety in heavy rain and strong winds.

With some areas seeing a potential for 100 millimetres of rain, the effects include localized and flash flooding which can be devastating.

“If you live in an area prone to localized flooding, have an evacuation plan, think about how you and your family can stay safe or leave if necessary and go to a safe place,” MacCallum said.

MacCallum warns of bad driving conditions in heavy rain and strong winds.

He says the effects of wind are often underestimated and there is a good chance of trees in full foliage falling down and causing damage as a result.

“This is not the time for recreational boating. It’s not the time to playing on beaches. Stay well away from water courses, stay well away from coastlines.” MacCallum said.

With power outages likely, MacCallum suggests anyone with a generator should brush up on how to operate it safely.

With files from Brad Perry and Tamara Steele