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W ednesdsay May 17, 2000 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER A S to rm te s te d e m e rg e n c y p la n (Continued from page A1) four feet while outside, flood water pressed halfway up the front door. After part of the basement ceiling collapsed, the couple tried to rescue everything from Marlene's busi ness records to their daughter's prized cruise line mem orabilia and photographs. A fire fighter then showed up and told the couple they had to shut off the power and eventually evacuate. In the wee hours pumps were brought in and it was not until 4:30 a.m. that the floor drains took the last of the water, leaving a sodden mess and heartbreak. "Having been through this three times, we don't want to go through it ever again," said Navis. Bloomer explained that southeast Oakville was largely spared flooding thanks to the diversion channel north of the QEW. The enclosed pipe culvert at M unn's Creek (a Sixties-era type of engineering no longer used, he said) exceeded capacity and released floodwater which subsequent measures (storm drains, berms) could not handle. In total, the Oakville Fire Department received approximately 300 calls, which included calls for Public Works which the department fields after hours. Fortunately there were no serious reported injuries, including the occupants of a Jonathan Drive home which suffered a fire during the storm. According to de Hooge, the blaze was not storm-related but taxed crews which were already trying to keep pace with other calls. Lightning caused power outages The intense storm that blew through town Friday night was a real problem for Oakville Hydro. M artin M alinow ski, D irector of Electrical Distribution for Oakville Hydro, said the utility's sys tem suffered at least 32 lightning strikes, causing breakers to open to avoid damage which cut off power momentarily to customers. Three transformers were lost and several "lightning arresters" had to be replaced. A total of 76,000 homes were affected (that number includes multiple outages) while 272 customers had power shut off due to flooding and other concerns. W hile electricity was restored to most homes by early morning, 53 residences had to inspected first by Hydro crews and Electrical Safety Authority personnel. Clean-up and repairs continued throughout the week end. The fire caused about $75,000 in damages to two vehicles parked inside the garage and to part of the house itself. The blaze appears to have started in one of the cars. Yet even after working all night battling the storm, two Oakville firefighters - Jason McGahey and Tom Cleverly - joined eight other fire fighters at the Upper Middle Road West TD/Canada Trust office on Saturday to help raise $400 during a car wash for the Children's Miracle Network. According to Const. Sonya Siebert of the OPP's Burlington Detachment, flooding on the QEW at Bronte Road became so bad that officers were forced to close the westbound highway for several hours. "It was really inconvenient for the motoring public but it was a safety hazard," she said. Problems started when water ran off the hills at Deerfield Golf Course and onto the QEW, causing the cars of many drivers who tried to plow through the mess to stall. Once the road was closed, drivers were diverted at Third Line. Burlington OPP's shift change usually happens at 5 a.m. but, says Siebert, additional personnel were brought in at 2:30 a.m. - partially to help deal with a fatality on the QEW in Hamilton. Bloomer said other flooded roads included Ninth Line and Upper Middle Road, Dundas Street and the North Service Road. In the harbours, several docks were torn loose from their moorings and were later retrieved by the Coast Guard. `T his is new level of rainfall flooding anyone around here has ever experienced," said Bloomer, who explained that reports of damage are still coming in. "It's inconvenient having a wet basement but at least no one was hurt." The Town of Oakville Emergency Action Plan kicked into gear, said de Hooge, when senior officials feared that yet another storm cell was moving in to hammer the town. To that end, the mayor, fire chief, town manager, transit director, Public Works personnel and others all gathered to co-ordinate emergency efforts - including the clean-up that would occur in the storm's wake. "It was thought that what was already a bad situa tion could be worse," said de Hooge. As a precaution against electrocution or fire, de Hooge said natural gas and electricity were temporari ly shut off from homes in the Culham/Osboume area. The last thing anyone wanted was a resident stepping in water charged by live wires or a pilot lights being extin guished. Photo by Barrie Erskine Flood waters git pretty deep Friday night along Osborne Cr. This car was in a raised driveway. Photo by Peter J. Thompson Osborne St. home owner Nada Luburic's downstairs bathroom was heavily damaged b the storm and A Halton Regional Police officer (above) walks along what used to be the sidewalk on Culham Street late Friday night in between storm cells. The lightning at the height of the storm was Photo by Barrie Erskine dramatic. \ ro ° ° ? $ $ Finance Rates as low as 0%. Lease from $0 down. D odge Dodge Truths OAKVILLE DODGE CHRYSLER JffP 6 4 6 4th L in e, Spoors R o sd , O s k v ille p ^ w w w .o a k v ille d o d g e .c o m I