Bluesfest has extensive emergency plans in place for severe weather

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The unpredictability of summer weather is a never-ending concern for Bluesfest executive director Mark Monahan.

“It’s probably the most stressful part of running the festival,” Monahan said in a telephone interview Tuesday. “Every year, there are several days when there’s the potential for adverse weather.”

The opening four days of this year’s musical smorgasbord have been marked by off-and-on rain, but a bigger threat is on the horizon.

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On Monday, Environment Canada issued a special weather statement for the city running from late Tuesday night into Thursday, cautioning about the chance for extreme precipitation of 20-40 mm of rain per hour at times.

It stems from the remnants of Hurricane Beryl, which is moving northeast after ripping through the Caribbean and moving inland. At least eight people have died and three million people were without power in Texas and Louisiana as flooding has caused severe damage.

None of that is music to Monahan’s ears, of course.

While he’s a weather optimist at heart, no festival could go on without proper emergency protocol procedures in place.

Bluesfest has an emergency team of eight that works in association with the city’s official Emergency Preparedness plan.

“It’s not something we just do on the fly. It’s well thought out,” Monahan said. “The ultimate goal is the safety of people. We run tabletop exercises during the year. This is not new to us.”

Over the years, extreme conditions have forced temporary stoppage several times, ranging from 10 minutes to an hour.

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Bluesfest also employs its own meteorologist to provide the most up-to-date forecasts for what could happen minute by minute at LeBreton Flats.

Last weekend, Monahan says he probably spent “five or six hours collectively” on the phone during a 24-hour period, trying to get a read on any and all pending weather issues. That includes looking out for possible lightning strikes and intense rain.

“We are prepared. It’s a professional approach.”

For all that, the Bluesfest boss is keeping his fingers crossed for the days ahead.

For music junkies heading out to see Jelly Roll and Shaboozey on Tuesday, the Zac Brown Band and Matthew Good on Wednesday and The Offspring and Corb Lund on Thursday, he says the weather can vary drastically based on a specific location within the city.

“Often, weather forecasts look at the whole geographical region,” he said. “We’re looking at one square kilometre. That’s often different from what might happen in Kanata or the Glebe or Ottawa South.

“It’s startling how different it can be. That’s why we have a meteorologist, so we can predict as closely as we can.”

kwarren@postmedia.com
X: Citizenkwarren

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