Canadian Conundrum: Evolving Risk Communication in the Context of More Frequent Weather-related Catastrophes

Weather-related disasters in Canada are occurring with greater frequency and are becoming increasingly costly. Recent events such as the devastating B.C. Heat Dome and Atmospheric Rivers of 2021, the Canadian Derecho and Post-tropical storm Fiona of 2022, and the historic Wildfire season of 2023 have produced unprecedented financial and human costs. These events underscore the need for the Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC) to strengthen its communication methods to effectively communicate weather risks to the general public and public authorities.

This presentation will delve into the Canadian provision of weather services and warnings within a large territory yet small population, coupled with increasing demands from both the public and a variety of media platforms – in both official languages.

Given these hurdles, the MSC is considering an organizational transformation that involves the adoption of the “Risk Assessment & Communication Framework”. As part of this transformation, the MSC has launched various initiatives and collaborations, including workshops with staff, outreach to the general public and public authorities, and consultations with international meteorological agencies to learn from their experiences and best practices. Internally new positions have been created, such as Warning Preparedness and Decision Support Meteorologists, and new technologies and recent collaborative efforts with emergency managers and other public authorities have resulted in life-saving actions that have anticipated and mitigated the impact of severe weather events.

The shift towards impact-based alerts and the development of more accessible, actionable weather information are crucial steps in improving risk communication to the public and authorities. Additionally, the integration of social media and advancements in technology into operations requires MSC to evolve the training, development and recruitment of meteorologists in the transformation process. By prioritizing decision support services, timely notification, impact-based warnings, and leveraging automation and new technologies for routine public forecast services, the service aims to better communicate weather risks and thus ensure the safety and resilience of Canadian communities.