This disaster reminds me of Hurricane Hazel in 1954.
When it was over Pennsylvania, Hazel consolidated with a cold front and turned northwest towards Canada. When it hit Ontario as an extratropical storm, rivers and streams in and around Toronto overflowed their banks, which caused severe flooding. As a result, many residential areas in the local floodplains, such as the Raymore Drive area, were subsequently converted to parkland. In Canada alone, over C$135 million (2023: C$1.5 billion) of damage was incurred.
The effects of Hazel were particularly unprecedented in Toronto because of a combination of heavy rainfall during the preceding weeks, a lack of experience in dealing with hurricanes, and the storm’s unexpected retention of power despite traveling 1,100 km (680 mi) over land. The storm stalled over the Toronto area, and although it was now extratropical, it remained as powerful as a Category 1 hurricane.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Hazel
The result was strict building code changes and zoning changes across Ontario meaning you can’t build on floodplain. Period.
The other issue is that the area has spotty cellular service, so any warnings from the NWS may not have been received.
I have been involved in the governance of camps for several decades. Our Ontario Camping Association provincial standards for camping require that camps have disaster and evacuation plans, warning sirens or horns, and training for staff. After seeing this, I just shake my head and hope someone in Texas wakes up.
