WATCH: David Phillips from Environment Canada says the Alberta Floods was a no-brainer for top spot
TORONTO – David Phillips, Environment Canada’s senior climatologist, has released his annual Top Ten Weather Stories of 2013.
It’s not a surprise that the Alberta floods topped the list.
On June 19, slow-moving and moist air parked over southern Alberta. The area received three days of torrential rains.
Calgary received 68 mm of rain over 48 hours, but west of the city some areas reported 75 to 150 mm over two-and-a-half days.
Up to 100,000 Albertans were evacuated in the costliest natural disaster in Canadian history, estimated to be $6 billion in losses and recovery costs, and a record $2 billion in insured losses.
READ MORE: Weather Extremes of 2013
The No. 2 story was the flood that took Toronto by surprise on July 8.
By mid-afternoon that day, it had become apparent to forecasters that a slow-moving weather system was going to drop a lot of rain over the Greater Toronto Area.
Streets and major roadways flooded, stranding people in their cars. The Toronto police even had to rescue people from a GO Transit commuter train which was unable to navigate the waters.
After it was all said and done, 126 mm of rain was recorded at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
There were also the spring floods in Ontario’s cottage country and the seemingly never-ending winter for the Prairies.
Here is the complete list of Top Ten Weather Stories for 2013:
- Alberta’s Flood of Floods
- Toronto’s Torrent
- Bumper Crops in the West, a Rollercoaster for the Rest
- To Flood or Not to Flood (Red River Valley)
- Rebound in the Arctic Ocean and the Great Lakes
- Wicked Winter Weather Wallops the East
- Spring Flooding in Ontario’s Cottage Country
- Prairie Winter Went on Forever
- Stormy Seas and Maritime Tragedy
- Sunny and Rainless in BC
Phillips also included runner-up stories, such eastern Canada’s short summer, the wildfires and Fort McMurray flooding.
For a complete list, click here.
Comments