Although no tornado was reported to have touched down in Waterloo Region, officials are reminding residents what to do if a major storm moves through the area. Many people were caught outside in a sudden downpour this past weekend. William Rainey was at Kitchener’s Victoria Park on Saturday for the city’s annual Bluesfest. “I was in the big tent at the OLG clock tower, and it was raining pretty hard,” Rainey recalled. “I thought, ‘Well, I’ll take some video. Hopefully this is the worst of the rain,’ and that’s when it really started coming down.” Festival organizers eventually decided to issue an evacuation notice and advised people to take cover in city hall. “The whole event really shook me. My heart was pounding,” Rainey told CTV News. Heather Wickenheiser, an emergency management advisor with the Region of Waterloo, said seeking shelter during severe weather needs to be a priority. “It’s really important that you try to find somewhere as close by as possible to get into a building. Even if it’s a nearby bar, it’s crucial that you try to get inside,” she stressed. People inside a shelter should also know the safest places to be during inclement weather. “If you are at home, go to the basement. Stay away from windows and doors,” Wickenheiser said, adding that anyone in an apartment or other tall building should move to the smallest interior room away from windows. Many drivers were also caught in the sudden storm. “If you are driving, pull over safely, stay in your vehicle and avoid parking near trees or power lines,” Wickenheiser advised. While it’s important to seek shelter if trapped outside in heavy storms, anyone with nowhere to go should try to find a ditch or sunken ground. “Lie flat in a ditch or sunken ground and cover your head with your hands. Do not go under an overpass or bridge,” reads a statement sent to CTV News from a City of Kitchener spokesperson. With how quickly storms can develop, officials urge people to stay up-to-date on local weather alerts through Alert Waterloo Region.
