Ah, summertime...sunny weather, camping, barbecuing, thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods! That's right; Saskatchewan has seen its fair share of extreme weather already this summer.
A tornado touched down on the Kawacatoose First Nation near Raymore, last week, destroying about a dozen homes and damaging many others.
Many northern lake cottages are under the threat of flood. The cities of Saskatoon and Yorkton are still reeling from a flood that has ruined hundreds of homes.
Yorkton received a month's worth of rain in 30 minutes, along with golf-ball sized hail and winds gusting up to 100 kilometres per hour. Local officials declared a state of emergency as approximately 75 families are temporarily left without a home.
Maple Creek was first to deal with a major flood that caused millions of dollars damage to crops and property. Crews are still repairing the damage done to the Trans-Canada Highway that was washed-out in that area.
There have even been a few eyewitness accounts of funnel clouds in our area. A photo of one such incident is featured on page 2 of this week's paper.
Saskatchewan is not the only one experiencing extreme weather. Ontario and Quebec are enduring a heat wave that has overheated transformers, setting them ablaze. The intense heat has even sent some people to the hospital.
I spent the Canada Day weekend at Marean Lake and Greenwater Provincial Park where thunderstorms and hail were reported. Fortunately, the worst of the weather presented itself late at night when we were already cozy inside the cabin so it didn't affect the trip.
What can we do about the weather? Absolutely nothing. Although planning for it can relieve some of the burden.
It was an important year for farmers to invest in crop insurance. More than one third of Saskatchewan crop land is apparently flooded.
Those with flooded basements will be relieved if they had the foresight to store their valuables in plastic, watertight containers. Having items up and off the floor is helpful advice, unless the water in your basement has risen to the ceiling like it did in many Yorkton homes.
These simple strategies may save some precious memories and property from damage but the fact remains that you may be able to predict the weather but you can't change it.
