A retired meteorologist from Environment Canada has reiterated the call for a national warning system to alert citizens to the dangers of sudden flooding, like the one that claimed lives in Nova Scotia, Eastern Canada, ten days ago.

On July 21, some areas of this coastal province received about 250 millimeters of rain in a very short time, resulting in flash floods that led to the deaths of three people and the disappearance of another, as well as significant property damage.

Jim Abraham, the retired meteorologist and first director of the Canadian Hurricane Centre, believes that the federal Environment Ministry, where he worked for 36 years, should address the issue of flash flooding instead of leaving the task of warning citizens to provinces and municipalities.

It is noted that the federal Ministry of Environment and Climate Change is responsible for special advisories and warnings related to rain, snow, and ice. Therefore, the ministry is well-equipped to act in the event of a sudden flood.

Some provinces that regularly experience floods, such as Ontario and Quebec in the spring, have long had their own flood programs. However, Nova Scotia does not have such programs.

According to Abraham, a unified system across Canada would provide better protection for residents, as the United States has had such a national system since the 1950s.

For her part, Kate Apshier, head of the National Flood Service at the National Weather Service in the United States, clarified that the purpose of the warning program is to alert citizens more than an hour in advance of the dangers of flash flooding.

She added that these floods are particularly dangerous when people are in their cars, finding themselves trapped by water within minutes, or trying to drive anyway and then realizing they are in deeper water than they believed. Apshier noted that more than half of the fatalities during floods in the United States occur in vehicles.

In a written statement, Heather Fairbairn, a spokesperson for the Nova Scotia Emergency Management Office, said that the province's municipalities are responsible for leading the response to events occurring within their territories, including the need to issue a flood warning.

Fairbairn added that an emergency alert is then issued in coordination with the provincial Emergency Management Office.

She pointed out that the province is now looking to hire a coordinator and an engineer specialized in "establishing effective flood prevention and climate adaptation measures."