HAZARDS - FORT MCMURRAY C/S Flashcards
1
Q
What does the case study show?
A
Wildfires
2
Q
What is the capital called?
A
Fort McMurray
3
Q
Where is Fort McMurray?
A
Canadian state (Alberta) in the South of Canada
4
Q
When did it occur?
A
May 2016
5
Q
How did it start and what were the conditions?
A
Fire ignited in remote boreal forest to the SW
- El Niño effect
- initially under control
6
Q
What were the medium term and short term causes of the fire?
A
MEDIUM
- 12 month long drought
- 2015/2016 winter (lack of snow / melting)
SHORT
- high temps in recent days
- strong SE winds (drying)
7
Q
Environmental impacts?
A
- released CO2
- intensity affected ecosystem (soil + tree roots)
- contaminated water supplies
8
Q
Social impacts?
A
- 2400 buildings burnt to the ground
- transport (international airport)
- 90,000 evacuated
- power supplies disrupted
9
Q
Economic impacts?
A
- $9bn in damages
- jobs affected
- 1/3 oil sands workers evacuated (worth CAN $1bn)
- cost $17mil (incr in global oil prices)
10
Q
Political impacts?
A
- Alberta government had to oversea safe re-entry into the city
- political debate about climate change
- reconstruction programmes
- government officials had to oversea evacuation programmes
11
Q
What are some of the responses?
A
- monitoring newly ignited fires
- track using meteorological info
- mass evacuation (90,000)
- Alberta government declared state of emergency
- Gov (CAN $1250 per adult + $500 per dependent)
- RedCross CAN $50 million
- community response by catch phrases
- Firesmart Programme
