Throughout Canada, many of us collectively look forward to Springtime, Mother Nature’s most amazing transition period of the year. As trees, flowers, crops, and longer, gentler days blossom, so too do lingering seasonal severe weather threats. The wondrous transition often arrives with dangerous changeover situations. Thunderstorms and tornadoes, heavy, wet-spring snows, floods caused by snowmelt and heavy rain, high winds and dust storms, all present perils. Dust storms can occur from one to as many as five times per year in the agricultural Canadian prairies. Branden Fraser, General Manager, Paul Davis Calgary, Alberta,has lots of experience.
“The Canadian prairies are prone to severe thunderstorms and tornadoes most often throughout the springtime,” says Fraser. “You might not equate spring with these threats but we do.” Severe thunderstorms and even more severe tornadoes are hazardous during the spring in much of Canada and their potential for their damaging winds and fast occurring flooding is not to be ignored. Canada has a unique setup that creates favorable conditions for severe storm development in the spring due to the potential for contrasting dry, moist air colliding with lingering cold air. That mixture produces some of the most violent weather conditions on Earth. If these ingredients combine quickly, EF4 and EF5 tornadoes, the most deadly and destructive tornadoes, can lead to tremendous damage with outbreaks that can rage over 320 kilometers of risk area. “It’s hard to imagine the damage these systems bring,” says Fraser, “But once you witness the aftermath you never forget it.”
Less severe but ever so damaging in spring, heavy wet snow storms are still a potential extreme weather problem. March through early May are transition months. Extreme warmth can often be followed by extreme cold. The contrasts between warm and cold air help fuel powerful spring storms and flooding. During spring's warmup, rainfall and melting winter snow can very easily cause large amounts of runoff in a short period of time. “Water is a witch that causes high damage with extensive cleanup and mitigation for homeowners.” Fraser explains, “Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes get all the news coverage but the lingering damage of water invading homes and businesses is hugely expensive.” Heavy spring rains are very dangerous due to severe flooding by oversaturating the ground, overfilling storm drains or causing rivers to spill over their banks or levees.
No stranger to Canada, gusty spring winds often trigger dust storms and feed spring firestorms, too. The strongest winds develop big and powerful surface storms in the lee of the Rockies then moving east. When an area is very dry or drought stricken and experiences these strong winds, dust storms can develop, and these also turn into firestorms if accidental or careless burning takes place. Annual firestorms rage to consume hundreds of square kilometers of grassland and forests. If houses and buildings are in the path of these fast-moving firestorms, total destruction can take place. Paul Davis Restoration is uniquely organized to deal with widespread destruction situations that severe spring weather brings. Fraser explains that the numerous Paul Davis operations, each staffed with experienced people and the latest in specialized equipment, assure customers that help is ready, willing, and able to deal with spring storm damage that Mother Nature sometimes brings us.