Latest news with #MotherNature
Calgary Herald
11 hours ago
- Climate
- Calgary Herald
Jasper visitors warned: 'We don't need another cathartic experience for your tourism entertainment'
Article content Article content The thing that's striking about a wildfire's aftermath is how random the damage is. One neighbourhood is razed, the next is intact. One home stands on a street, while the rest of the houses were destroyed. A decimated Esso station by the rail tracks sits right across the street from a Montana's restaurant that's intact and open for business. The fire spread into town by burning embers that were catapulted into neighbourhoods by high winds. So, it was as if Mother Nature played a fiery game of Russian Roulette. A house got hit and started to burn, while the next street avoided the fire. Article content 'It was hit and miss,' said Ward. Article content And that random nature of the fire makes it hard for residents to process what happened to their town. Some lost everything, some didn't. And, mentally, that might be tougher than if the entire town had burned. Article content Survivor's guilt is a very real thing in Jasper, said Smith. And he recognized it when Jasper was reopened and people were first brought back into town to find out if they'd lost everything — or not. Article content Article content 'The first impression when you come into town was, gee, it's not so bad, everything's here,' said Smith. 'But you drive down main street, and then you get to the far end, and it was like, oh yeah, wow. They were bringing in residents in busloads to drive around and show them the areas that were affected. And then the other folks come in, and then there's the other side of that. They feel bad because their stuff didn't burn.'
Edmonton Journal
12 hours ago
- Climate
- Edmonton Journal
Jasper visitors warned: 'We don't need another cathartic experience for your tourism entertainment'
Article content Article content The thing that's striking about a wildfire's aftermath is how random the damage is. One neighbourhood is razed, the next is intact. One home stands on a street, while the rest of the houses were destroyed. A decimated Esso station by the rail tracks sits right across the street from a Montana's restaurant that's intact and open for business. The fire spread into town by burning embers that were catapulted into neighbourhoods by high winds. So, it was as if Mother Nature played a fiery game of Russian Roulette. A house got hit and started to burn, while the next street avoided the fire. Article content 'It was hit and miss,' said Ward. Article content And that random nature of the fire makes it hard for residents to process what happened to their town. Some lost everything, some didn't. And, mentally, that might be tougher than if the entire town had burned. Article content Survivor's guilt is a very real thing in Jasper, said Smith. And he recognized it when Jasper was reopened and people were first brought back into town to find out if they'd lost everything — or not. Article content Article content 'The first impression when you come into town was, gee, it's not so bad, everything's here,' said Smith. 'But you drive down main street, and then you get to the far end, and it was like, oh yeah, wow. They were bringing in residents in busloads to drive around and show them the areas that were affected. And then the other folks come in, and then there's the other side of that. They feel bad because their stuff didn't burn.' Article content
Toronto Star
4 days ago
- General
- Toronto Star
‘I'm a little awestruck': Biidaasige Park opens this weekend in the Port Lands. Take a look at one of Toronto's largest greenspaces in a generation
After helping bring Toronto's massive new river valley into existence, Don Forbes choked up Friday during his first paddle through the lush, green surroundings — the result of human effort and ingenuity completed by the magic of Mother Nature. 'It's remarkable how it's all taken,' the Waterfront Toronto project manager said of the maturing plants and trees on the shores of the river valley created during the restoration of the mouth of the Don River over the past seven years.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Monsoonal storms helping Utah firefighters, but dry conditions in the forecast
Firefighters are taking advantage of help from Mother Nature as they look to quell several wildfires still burning across Utah. Monsoonal storms returned to the state over the last few days, producing isolated showers that have conveniently parked over some of the firefighting operations. About 0.72 inches of rain fell over the Forsyth Fire in northern Washington County on Thursday, while 0.20 inches of rain fell on Monroe Mountain on Wednesday, followed by 0.25 to 0.63 inches of rain in the Fish Lake and Cove Fort areas, all close to the Monroe Canyon Fire. That's helped slow down fire activity, giving firefighters an upper hand after weeks of hot, dry and windy conditions. Crews began establishing direct fire lines in parts of the Monroe Canyon Fire in recent days, aided by 'cooler, wetter weather conditions,' according to the Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team overseeing operations. While the fire remained 0% contained on Friday, its size remained at 8,646 acres, similar to what was reported on Wednesday. Forsyth Fire growth was 'minimal' on Thursday because of the thunderstorm, federal firefighters added in an update of the fire. It is now 84% contained after burning 15,662 acres. Cloud cover and cooler temperatures also helped firefighters make 'good progress' on the Deer Creek Fire burning in San Juan County and southwest Colorado. It has burned 15,819 acres, but is now 11% contained. 'We are fortunate that the monsoonal moisture did hit our larger fires, and is helping us out,' Kelly Wickens, public information officer for the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, told on Friday. In addition to rain, Wickens points out that monsoons provide cooler weather that helps 'moderate' fire behavior. That gives firefighters a better chance to increase fire suppression efforts and carry out activities, such as digging containment lines to control the fire's growth. All of these can move faster because the fire isn't spreading as quickly. Monsoonal moisture to linger More isolated showers are expected on Friday across the state as a high-pressure system over the Texas panhandle and a low-pressure system off the Pacific Coast near the California-Mexico border help pump oceanic moisture into the Southwest, including Utah, said KSL meteorologist Matt Johnson. Storms will likely start in the mountains before moving into the valleys, especially by Friday afternoon. Clouds over the Wasatch Front Friday morning could lower the potential of storms bubbling up in the area, he said. Johnson said more scattered showers are possible Saturday and Sunday, especially in southern Utah. It's unclear how productive any of the storms will be because it depends on how much moisture remains in the atmosphere and where a storm sets up, which is one of the challenges of forecasting monsoons. 'It just depends. It's hard for models to resolve exactly where these storms might land,' Johnson said, adding that Thursday's totals provide an example of how productive the storms can be. Monsoons can pose some problems, too. A flash flood warning was issued in the Pine Valley area on Thursday over potential debris flows from the fire's burn scar. Flash flooding is possible again in slot canyons, dry washes and recent burn scars over the next few days, the National Weather Service advises. Storms may also produce lightning that can start new fires. Drier conditions on deck The additional moisture could be short-lived, though. Hot and dry conditions are forecast to return to the state by early next week. Long-range models indicate that monsoonal moisture could be 'spotty' through the rest of July, state officials noted earlier this week. That's why firefighters are racing to take advantage of monsoon benefits while they still can. 'It can definitely heat back up, and we'll be right in the same situation that we were before the monsoonal moisture,' Wickens said. Solve the daily Crossword
Business Journals
4 days ago
- Business Journals
Pittsburgh International Airport emerges as crucial diversion hub amid East Coast weather woes
When Mother Nature throws a curveball at major airports, Pittsburgh steps up to the plate. Discover how this former hub manages the influx of unexpected visitors.
