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Fe could expect same, if not better, reaction cia Sgt. eel Phronicle Staff l In the wake of the recent tornado aster in Central Ontario, the question urfaces - how ready would Waterloo be to pe with a ttimilar situation? - Reports from organizations in places uch as Barrie, Orangeville and Grand alley say that the emergency was as well as can be expected. cials in Waterloo region say we could the same, if not better. Sgt. Jim Fraser, Emergency Planning cer of Waterloo Regional Police, says area is protected by an emergency saster formula that covers a number of ans. “If we should be as unfortunate as Barrie there is a massive co-ordination project that will go into effect. As quick as someone can call 911 and report a tornado, we will get started." said Fraser. The key to the plan would be an efficient, tral headquarters where all the heads various departments would rule in a caucus arrangement. All volunteers and police on duty would keep in constant ltoucll with the post to ensure maximum " Fraser estimated it would take half on Elm" from the first sighting of a tornado for the commend post to be established. After ell off-duty ofricers had been called in, the first task would be to “contain the scene," This basically gmoums to helping victims and preventlng m. . Somewhere during this time the elec- tronic media wank! be advised of the situation and asked to act as I communi- cations network with the dams. F'rasersaidthetdmtdttesmrtemrtahrt mtrprtgtedruieshrrettt-trtokt1ow.tmt Tornado tragedy didn't miss us by much suggested they remain in their homes and not use their telephones unless they are in need of assistance. If caught outside, shelter may be found in a nearby sturdy building. Seek an interior room or hallway, preferably in the basement. If this is not possible lie flat in a ditch or ravine and hang onto a small tree or shrub. While Fraser is confident of the plan‘s overall effectiveness, he said there is a need for more volunteers to assist and an even greater need for facilities such as nursing homes to tie into the project. "We've been working on nursing homes for some time to develop their own plan, but it took them the recent disasters to stop dragging their feet," said Fraser. "Basically the whole plan for everyone is simply a case of being prepared for any- For the plan to be a success. other organizations such as fire departments, ambulances and hospitals must also rise to the occasion. Kitchener-Waterloo Hospital spokesman Pat Cawley says the first task is to evaluate the number of people on hand and start calling in staff. The avallabllty of beds is another thing checked into. Pa- tients Vino need not be in the hospital would be discharged to create room. "We Mid be ready to handle the situation," she said. "The staff is trained and veil-rehearsed." She added that the Wars north. of the plan is e-tty being updated. TheRegioBalPlanwastestedatamock disaster at Conestoga College last year with immive results. Whether it mid under a situation similar to Central Ontario's recent one. it is hoped will remain ”and. isFaia' aiguit _ fheehnneeettatomadtrttitttrstrWaterhto is ”guru“ mny page“. spottodirstheCeertraiPuirtsottheUatited States from can"! Texas to Nebraska, SouthemGttariositrsmthefthttgeof “Tornado Alley," and is thus susceptible. says Wilfrid Laurier University meteoro logy professor Jerry Hail. Hail says the conditions necessary to form tornado action are present every spring in Southern Ontario and added that the chance of one hitting next spring is "very good," _ - "The public would be shocked to know just how many tornadoes actually do hit Southern Ontario. The problem is that unless there is a lot of property damage or loss of life, there is little public response," said Hall. Figures show that 45 tornadoes occurred in Ontario in men. although many of them were minor. A tornado is a violent local vortex in the atmosphere. It has upward spiralling winds of 1mm km/hour and is usually visible as a funnel shaped cloud hanging from the base of a cumulonimbus cloud with whirling dust and debris where it They are usually a result of two atmospheric conditions combining. Cold Arctic air is pushed south by a "polar jet" which travels above the air mass. Meanwhile. the warm, unstable air that exists around the Gulf of Mexico is being pushed northeast by the coid, southwester- ly mass. On occasion, the jet-stream above the cold air moves quicker than the air below it, forming a wedge. It is when diese twi, meet that the problem begins. 7 _ _ _ The warm air is trapped under the umbrella of the cold mass and tries to break through. As it rises, an unstable atmosphere is created, prompting thun- derstorms capable of spawning tornadoes. This is a result of the rising air condensing and producing more heat energy. Many tornadoes are on the ground for only one or two minutes and damage a path 50100 metres wide and one to two kilometres long. Severe tornadoes are much larger. having paths up to 1.5 kilometres in width and 350 kilometres in “it‘s like a large bomb being exploded. It sounds like 1,000 trains whistling. People should treat one like an air raid," said Hall. His reference to the air raid is no joke. He says Canada should follow the example set by the United States and be prepared for disasters. The United States has tornado watches and the people act by instinct when one hits. “There is no hazard policy in Canada and that is a great worry. The Barrie situation was handled well but there should he an effective device," said Hall. “I think a combination of the growing awareness and a new Liberal government in Ontario, that something will be worked While it is true that aWamness in Canada is low, it will always remain the ask of the tso-r-e-trm-trt-tr-ttte-ttttmeter'? iteuuiniettaar--rt-.8tt-t-he-earttett?r ti-it-tmt-teta-tttie-ttti-oe-thot-inthe t-tqgrxtra't-rttt-ettr4iere9t-tertrtdB. ”in” We're on fringe of Tornado Alley 1teutoo4Rtt0tttxE.q-BttAV.atME ". "M--PAetes $hrtagNtWeathterCeaeetooete6the Tony Chir, omeer-in-cUrge of the Weather We at Watee-eltintgtoat timed. "ystheeurrmttp1aatbehtgusedin detecting tornadoes is a good one. his basedem a twotiersrrtem. Thurs! tier is the severe weather watch. A notifieatimt is mule public that severe conditions exist. This stage gives many hours lead time before the storm. Phase two is the wanting stage. This cannot be issued until a tornado has actually touched down. This alert is more specific and will hopefully still provide residents enough lead time to prepare if it is heading their way. For the system to be successful. a good system of weather-watchers is necessary. Once these volunteers spot a twister they call direct to the Weather Centre and report the location. The wheels are then put in motion. Waterloo Region has " watchers. which according to Chit. is a sufficient number. Chit says it is impossible to enact phase two of the plan without a spotting. “The Ontario Weather Centre is aware that if you put too many tornado warnings out it will be like crying wolf. It is very important to be accurate." he said. After Waterloo-Wellington receives word from the Ontario Weather Centre. they contact the police, and in an immi- nent situation, the media would be con- tacted to make the public aware. From that point, in the weather station can do is keep updating the situation, while the Regional Disaster plan sets into MMF Chronicle Staff After the initial shock of a tornado disaster has sunk in, it is time for people to begin sorting out their lives. This task is virtually impossible with- out the aid of various relief agencies that lend a hand. While all contributions are felt and deeply appreciated, it is the work of insurance agencies that are the key to rebuilding. The Co-operators Insurance Com- pany had paid out more than 86 million, as of Monday morning, to victims who were affected by the recent tornadoes in Central Ontario. The company has hands-on experience on what to do in the case of such a tragedy. A spokesman from the Kitchener branch of the Cooperators, said the first step belongs to the claims supervi- sor fortheregimof%eted.'Nesupervi- sor arranges for damages to be an praised by company appraisers and contractors hired. Help is at hand (continued on one l3)