Summer is a wonderful time of year to spend time outside under the warm sun, but it’s also the most active storm season in Calgary. While storms can be mesmerizing and exciting, they can also be very dangerous.
“Calgary is prone to strong and sometimes dangerous summer storms,” says Tom Sampson, Chief of the Calgary Emergency Management Agency. “Keep yourself, your family and your property safe during a summer storm by signing up for emergency alerts, making an emergency plan, and having a 72-hour kit.”
In addition to thunder, lightning, rain, and wind, summer storms often bring hail which can damage houses and cars and cause injuries. Protect your home and property by parking under shelter, secure items that might blow away, and remove weak branches and trees.
Public weather alerts for Alberta and Alberta Emergency Alerts let the public know when a strong storm is coming. A “severe weather watch” means the conditions favour a certain type of hazardous weather, and a “severe weather warning”, means that the weather event will happen in the next 30 minutes.
The best place to be during a storm is in an enclosed building or hard topped vehicle. Stay away from high ground, isolated trees or telephone poles, picnic shelters and open spaces, to avoid being hit by lightning. Keep yourself and your pets inside until the storm has passed.
Learn more about disaster risk in Calgary and how you can prepare by visiting calary.ca/getready.
