There are warning systems in place in some provinces, but not in Nova Scotia
A week after four people, including two children, died because of floods in Nova Scotia, some people are asking why more wasn’t done to warn people about possible flash floods.
Jim Abraham, a retired meteorologist who used to work for Environment and Climate Change Canada, has been calling for a national system to warn people about flash floods for years.
The organization makes weather predictions, such as warnings about rain. One was sent out before the storm on Friday, but each province is in charge of sending out its own flash flood warnings.
Some provinces, like Ontario and Quebec, that have had more floods in the past have their own flood forecasting programs, but Nova Scotia does not.
“We don’t have many floods, so the province hasn’t put money into a program to predict floods,” Abraham said. 
Abraham said that as the climate changes, floods are likely to happen more often. This makes it even more important to have a standardized warning system.He thinks that it would save lives.
The U.S. system started in the 1950s
Since the 1950s, the United States has had a national alert system.
The U.S. National Weather Service’s lead for flood services, Kate Abshire, said that the goal is to give a warning more than an hour ahead of time.
“As much lead time as possible is usually seen as a good thing,” said Abshire.
She said that flash floods are especially dangerous because things can change so quickly. Even if the floodwaters don’t look too deep, drivers should stay away because their cars could be swept away.
Abshire said that more than half of the deaths caused by flooding in the U.S. happen in cars.
She said, “We’re making a big push to tell people, ‘Turn around, don’t drown.'” “You shouldn’t take that chance.”
Education a key componen
Many people in Nova Scotia didn’t know how to stay safe during the flooding last weekend.
Abraham said, “This is just such a sad situation.” “If we had a national program to predict flash floods, it wouldn’t just be the warnings that would help. It would also be educating the public.” Heather Fairbairn, a spokesperson for the Nova Scotia Emergency Management Office, said in a statement that it is up to the municipalities to lead “the response to events that affect their area, like when a flood warning may be needed.”
Then, the department said, they would work with the EMO to send out an emergency alert.
Fairbairn said that the province is looking to hire a flood coordinator and a stormwater engineer “to implement effective flood prevention and climate adaptation measures.”
Environment and Climate Change Canada said in a statement that its “primary responsibility is to support flood reduction agencies and other jurisdictions by measuring and monitoring water levels and flows and keeping an eye on weather conditions that may affect flooding.”
Abraham, on the other hand, thinks that it’s time for a more coordinated response.
“This problem needs to be solved by all levels of government, citizens, and the insurance industry working together,” he said.
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