The number of tornadoes considered disasters is on the rise, according to an analysis of data used by Public Safety Canada.
The Canadian Disaster Database contains detailed disaster data for over 1000 events since 1900 that have had a significant impact on the area that it occurred in. Examples include flooding, winter storms, and pandemics.
In order for an event to be considered a disaster, it needs to fall under one of the listed criteria, which include: 10 or more people killed, 100 or more people affected, injured, or homeless, an appeal for national or international assistance, and more.
Ontario currently has 19 tornadoes listed in the database, and the tornadoes that ripped through the Ottawa-Gatineau region on September 22 are likely to join the list.
“There are currently over 100 families that are without a home following a path of destruction that occurred in just a few moments,” said Mayor Jim Watson at a September 26 City Council meeting, adding: “it is heartbreaking to see.”
By Public Safety Canada’s standards, this would qualify it to make the list as more than 100 people have been left homeless. More than 30 homes in the Dunrobin area will require complete demolition, according to Mayor Watson, with more expected following inspections.
The number of tornadoes listed as disasters in the database has increased by 200 per cent in the last decade. While the 2000s saw a total of two events, so far there have been four events since 2010.
But don’t be so quick to assume it is a matter of climate change, stresses Dr. Jason Mah, who teaches natural disasters at Carleton University.
“There isn’t a direct link,” he said. “Climate change is impacting the water cycle. The natural disasters with the closest link to climate change are hurricanes.”
This is because hurricanes draw their power from warm ocean water, which is a direct result of climate change, he explained. Meanwhile, tornadoes are formed when a jet stream causes a collision of warm, moist air and cold air.
“There were 58 tornadoes in 2009, and 56 in 1980. It’s not exactly compelling evidence that there has been an increase in the number of tornadoes,” Dr. Mah said.
However, he did add that natural disasters occur around the world every day, “it’s just that we live in a very safe environment here in Canada.”
“These types of events are rare for the Ottawa region,” he said, adding that while the change in climate may not create more events; it may shift the regions that see large-scale tornadoes like the ones that get added to the Disaster Database.
Tornadoes are measured by the severity of an event based on estimating wind speed after assessing the damage caused, measured on the Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale. Of the seven confirmed tornadoes in the Ottawa-Gatineau region, two measured at EF-03 according to The Weather Network.
According to Mayor Watson, there are no estimates on damages as of yet. However, when an EF03 tornado hit Goderich, Ont. in 2011, there was $130 million in damages, according to information from the Insurance Bureau of Canada website.
If the September 22 tornadoes are added to the Disaster Database, that will make it just the second tornado event to occur in September in recorded Ontario history, as well as the latest ever in a calendar year. The most popular time of year for tornadoes is between July and September, with the most incidents in the month of August.
While Ottawa recovers, officials are more focused on those efforts than they are concerned about this being added to the Disaster Database. “Ottawa is resilient, our city has always been resilient,” said Mayor Jim Watson.
A brief timeline of ‘disaster tornadoes’ in Ontario. Data from the Canadian Disaster Database.