Gimli harbour flooded, Namao Research ship in background
I’ve never heard the term weather “bomb” used before but it certainly conjures up a very threatening image. Our weather forecasters were using that term in Manitoba a couple of days ago to denote a hurricane force winds and heavy rains. In Saskatchewan the weather “bomb” dumped huge amounts of snow and hurricane force winds shut down the Trans-Canada Highway in some parts.
The results of this “bomb” were states of emergency being declared in several areas of Manitoba due to overland flooding and massive waves wreaking havoc along the shores of Lake Winnipeg . The RM of Mossey River, Winnipegosis, Gimli and St. Clement have all declared states of emergency. Sagkeeng First Nation saw 10 homes being evacuated due to rising waters from the Winnipeg River and some of these same residents had to evacuate due to flooding as recently as last spring.
Several people living in these areas have made the comment that they’ve never seen anything like this while our Minister of Water Stewardship, Christine Melnick, is saying this is the new normal. Once again we’re seeing the effects of climate change in this intense and dramatically unseasonable storm.
I wonder how many people make the connection between this extreme weather event and what scientists are predicting will be more common with changing climate patterns? I hope that connection starts to infiltrate our consciousness to a much greater extent and ultimately motivates us to take the actions we can to decrease our greenhouse gas emissions.
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H2O: Ideas & Action for Canada's Water 
The comment “this is the new normal” scared the pants off me. This is not normal, we must do better. The “new reality” is, it will get worse before it gets better, our government must prepare and deal with Global Climate Change.
By: Jen Unwin on October 29, 2010
at 2:01 am
I agree with you, Jen. Its almost as though we don’t understand that there are significant things we can be doing to slow down the rising global tempreatures. It would be great if the weather “bomb” could actually light the fuse to some action.
By: CFC on October 29, 2010
at 2:55 am
Our federal government has to start off by admitting there is such a thing as Climate change, not burying their heads in the sand and giving us some religious mumbo jumbo about it must be god’s will and we can’t do anything about it. Are you listening Harper?
By: Laurie Logan on November 2, 2010
at 9:19 pm
its not the new NORMAL but it will happen again.
By: R on November 16, 2010
at 5:09 pm
We keep getting new information about new problems with industrial-induced climate change; predicted extinction of Polar bears (the real ones, not the concrete type our local media were so excited about), collapsing ice shelves, and New Normal weather bombs not previously reported. Our institutions, our governments, our corporations keep stalling on the actions that need to be taken. ‘New Normal’ is just a label to make us passive to what 40 years ago would have made us rush to the streets in rage. When will the Rising Tides of water be met with Rising Tides of action?
By: Cornelius Froese on November 23, 2010
at 1:10 am