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Canada Home Inventory - Natural Disasters
The frequency and impact of natural
disasters is on the rise worldwide. Earthquakes, hurricanes,
tsunamis, forest fires, tornadoes, ice storms and severe rain storms are
happening more often than ever before.
Canada is not immune to this trend.
Hurricane Juan hit Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island in 2003.
Forest Fires swept across British Columbia in 2004. In 2005, Toronto and
the surrounding areas were hit with severe rainstorms and tornadoes
which created the greatest amount of damage to homes and property in
Canada since the 1998 Ice Storms.
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Earthquakes
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There are about 1,500 earthquakes
recorded in Canada each year. A few dozen of them are strong
enough to cause significant property damage. The strongest
earthquakes occurred near the Pacific rim. Significant earthquakes
have also occurred in the St. Lawrence and Ottawa river valleys, and
in the Arctic. There are several Canadian communities vulnerable to
earthquakes including Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa, Victoria and
Quebec City. Earthquakes can
cause terrible losses. For example, in 1995, Japan experienced an
earthquake causing more than C$150 billion in damage. In 1960, Chile
experienced the strongest earthquake ever recorded: 9.5. Some of the
world’s largest earthquakes have occurred in western Canada
including a magnitude 9 subduction earthquake west of Vancouver
Island in 1700, and the 8.1 event in the Queen Charlotte Islands in
1949.
An earthquake off Newfoundland’s
Burin Peninsula in 1929 generated a 7 m tsunami that drowned 28
people, the largest recorded loss of life in Canada due to an
earthquake. |
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Tornadoes
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Severe tornadoes are the most
violent storms on earth. They have the highest wind speeds of any
weather phenomenon, exceeding 600 km/h. Tornadoes destroy property;
since 1916, they have caused more than 12,000 fatalities in North
America.
Canada ranks second in the world in terms of the frequency of
tornadoes, with an average of 80 tornadoes each year. In the United
States, a thousand tornadoes are reported each year. Any tornado can
cause injury or property damage, but two percent of the tornadoes
cause more than 90 percent of the fatalities.
Canada’s "tornado alleys" are found
in Southern Ontario; a band through Alberta, southern Saskatchewan
and Manitoba through to Thunder Bay; and, Southeastern Quebec.
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Winter Storms
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The Canadian winter season
usually starts in October and finishes around the middle of April.
Extreme cold temperatures pose a substantial danger during the
winter months.
The 1998 ice storm was a severe
winter storm and the most expensive natural disaster in Canadian
history. While freezing rain is common in Canada, the ice storm that
hit eastern Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick was exceptional. Over
a period of six days 100 mm of freezing rain fell intermittently. As
a result more than 4 million Canadians were displaced and nearly
three million households were without electricity. Additionally this
event caused in excess of C$5.5 billion in property damage and
significant environmental consequences.
During a blizzard, piercing winds
blow snow into drifts that can bury people, animals and possessions.
The snow loads can also cause the collapse of structures. |
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Canada Home
Inventory -
Importance of a Home Inventory in Canada |
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