Prepare for longer emergencies due to climate change: EMO
CBC News, December 23, 2008 | 2:23 PM ET
The rise of freak weather storms as a result of global warming means that New Brunswickers should add extra water and supplies to their emergency stockpile, according to the director of the provincial Emergency Measures Organization.
Traditionally, homeowners have been warned to keep 72 hours worth of food and water in case they are disconnected from the power grid because of a severe storm or flood.
Ernie MacGillivray, the director of the Emergency Measures Organization, said even if most people were able to sustain themselves for 72 hours that would have given emergency responders the ability to deal with the most urgent cases. But times are changing as the climate changes.
Now MacGillivray said people should be prepared now to be without power for as long as a week.
"We should be thinking about how to be more self-sufficient because we do have a changing climate and we're going to have to adapt," MacGillivray said.
MacGillivray said climate change is making itself felt in New Brunswick, pointing to several high-profile events in the last year. Many parts of the province were digging out from the first blizzard of the year on Monday that dumped as much as 37 centimetres of snow.
That's in addition to last winter's storms, near record and record flooding in the spring, and two tropical storms. The St. John River's spring flood caused the most significant flooding in decades, causing millions of dollars in damage throughout the region.
The EMO advises that families be stocked with food, water, batteries, radio, first-aid supplies and any special items such as medication and baby formula.
Other tips for a long power outage include keeping all doors and windows closed, avoiding the opening of a fridge or freezer and ensuring a backup heating unit is in a well-vented area.
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