Update on City Response to September Snow Event
“We have seen incredible coordination of support from City and emergency workers and Enmax to keep Calgarians safe and get them powered back up,” said Ken Uzeloc, Director of the Calgary Emergency Management Agency, who has been leading The City’s response to the September snow event. “Quick thinking and dedication on the parts of all our crews, combined with some great support by Calgarians, has got us well on our way with the massive clean up that will be required.”
Bill McMurtry, Warning Preparedness Meteorologist with Environment Canada says that “this is the highest snowfall event amount during the month of September, prior to the fall equinox for the last 130 years”.
Remaining Power Outages
Power initially was out Tuesday and Wednesday for approximately 51,000 customers. Enmax crews worked quickly to restore service to as many citizens as possible and report that currently the power remains off for approximately 1800 customers. ENMAX is working directly with those remaining impacted households to restore service.
Trees and debris
Since September 9, approximately 4,300 tree emergencies were reported to 311 on both private and public property. The City remains focused on clearing those trees damaged prior to assessing any longer term impacts.
Coordinated Emergency Response
The City of Calgary opened its Emergency Operations Centre in Rotary Park at noon on Tuesday to coordinate the response to the snowfall that downed powerlines and trees across Calgary. Calgary Emergency Management Agency coordinated with ENMAX, emergency services personnel and City of Calgary operations like Roads, Waste & Recycling, Parks, Water, Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Canada Task Force 2, and Customer Service Communications to address the needs of citizens.
- The number of calls to 311 on Wednesday (12,925 calls) was a record day in its history for single day call volume, higher than even those experienced during the flood. Since September 9, 311 has responded to 24,425 calls. This is in addition to emergency calls received through 9-1-1.
The City would like to thank Calgarians for their cooperation and support.
“While this winter storm found us early this year, we are reminded that winter will eventually find us and that power outages can happen for any reason at any time. Citizens should have a 72 hour emergency kit in their home to get them through those critical first few days of a power disruption,” said CEMA Director Ken Uzeloc.
A list of what should be included in a 72 Hour Emergency Kit is available on Calgary.ca.
The City of Calgary’s Emergency Operations Centre has now been closed.
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The City of Calgary will not have a spokesperson available for comment this evening.