Tornado alert! What would you do?

BY ALLEN MACARTNEY

This incident really happened, last fall, an hour and a half drive from Ottawa.

It was the end of a nine-day solo canoe trip. Up until that evening, the trip had been a spectacular succession of beautiful sunsets, warm weather, cool nights – bliss. My campsite was northeast of Kingston, perched on a rocky island with towering pines, not very far from Westport. In late afternoon the gentle breeze had given way to a rising, stiff wind that whipped the lake into a white froth.

Expecting rain, I ate an early dinner out on a rocky point, watching the storm approach. Grey clouds gave way to heavy black ones that stretched right across the horizon. Gusting wind pulled a foreboding blanket of dark cloud low over the view.

Usually, I like a good storm. Not this time. The gloom seemed unnatural. A sense deep inside me started sounding an alarm.

Washing up quickly, I packed away my gear as a distant rolling thunder echoed over the hills, speeding my efforts. The weather was deteriorating, fast. Black clouds raced over the lake. Lightning stabbed down. The wind rose to a moaning roar. Rain sheeted, hissed through the pines, branches swung wildly.

At a dead run, I headed to my tent and a warm, dry sleeping-bag. Hoping I wouldn’t have to paddle out in this storm the next day, I tuned my radio to a local station, waiting for its hourly weather report. For several minutes I listened to comforting music as the wind whipped the trees around my tent into a fury. Then the music stopped: “We interrupt this program for a severe weather bulletin. Please stand by …

“If you are in the Kingston area and as far east as Westport, TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY! Multiple tornados have been reported touching down in your area. I repeat, multiple tornadoes have been reported touching

down in your area. TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY!”

I listened, stunned. Lying in my sleeping bag in the path of tornados, my mind filled with images of sinister dark funnels swinging below the overcast as they moved relentlessly toward my island. Would I be hurled into the lake? Would a tree topple and crush me under its limbs?

What did I do? Well … what would you do? Choose from the actions below.

• Cover up with a sleeping mat • Put on a life-jacket • Send out S-O-S flashes across the lake to other campers • Get away from big trees • Get a second opinion on another radio station • Phone someone, if possible • Light a signal campfire • Protect your head, crouch down into as small a target as possible • Tie down the canoe • Secure your tent and tarpaulin • Lie flat in a ditch or low area • Start loading the canoe • Paddle to shore and the safety of your car • Put on a warm polypropylene undershirt, and extra clothes • Check your survival pack and keep it close • Tie yourself to a tree • Signal for help • Eat a chocolate bar • Put on a toque

Here’s what I did. First, I called my wife to tell her what was happening and what my plan was. It’s rare for me to camp or canoe in an area with cellphone coverage, but on this trip I was lucky.

Next, I raced outside and tied down my canoe so it wouldn’t be blown into the rocks, lake or high into a tree. I put on warm long underwear and a toque in case I got pinned under a tree and spent a long cold night. Then I donned my life jacket in case the tornado threw me into the lake or against something hard. Its thick insulation would also provide warmth if needed. Finally, I ate a chocolate bar for energy, drew my emergency pack close, and lay down flat in my sleeping bag – a small target for lightning.

Several hours later the violent part of the storm had passed and I called my wife to assure her.

What I didn’t do is also in that list above. The worst thing anyone could do is set off across the lake to escape. You can’t outrun or out-paddle a tornado. Speeds can exceed 400 km/h and funnels range from 100 metres wide to an enormous three kilometres. And tornados create mountainous waves, enough to swamp any canoe. Stay away from large tree roots. They can conduct lightning strikes like an electric cable.

Think hard. In a crisis, expect your IQ to drop as emotion trumps rational thought. Just heed radio warnings or believe what you see in front of your nose, and take cover.

Severe weather is becoming standard summer fare. Prepare now. Make a plan. It can happen to anyone, any time. •

CORRECTION

The spring 2017 issue of Ottawa Outdoors Magazine mistakingly credited the article “Know Your Canoe

Trip Buddies” to Sheila Ascroft. Allen Macartney wrote the piece.