Mr. Speaker, the southern areas of the Baffin and Keewatin regions continue to be experiencing severe weather conditions, with freezing rains and winds up to 120 kilometres per hour as an Arctic hurricane moves through the regions. This is a very severe condition which seems to occur on a ten-year cycle. The effect of the storm has been felt in communities as far north as Hall Beach and to Sanikiluaq in the south. The communities of Cape Dorset and Rankin Inlet have been experiencing such severe conditions that a state of local emergency was declared for a 24-hour period for the safety of the public. We are still receiving reports on other communities but information is a bit slow.
The community of Arviat has a number of houses without power. The community is alternating generators between the homes to keep them from freezing up. Most of the people on the land have been accounted for in the Keewatin region. Local radios, CBs and HF radios are keeping citizens from a number of communities informed of weather, closures and emergency numbers. Although not a complete listing, the preliminary damage caused by the storm includes: Cape Dorset, 5 boats damaged; Hall Beach, 6 power poles between the community and the airport have been blown down; Kimmirut, damage to three boats; Whale Cove, 12 power poles down, resulting in 14 houses without power; Rankin Inlet, damage to two trailers and two mobile homes which were blown over and the roof of the Northern Store was lifted by winds gusting to 135 kilometres per hour.
The estimates of damage excluding large businesses is close to $50,000. The Emergency Measures Organization has now made contact with Rankin Inlet via the recently installed satellite telephone MSAT units and is now receiving regular updates. The community of Rankin Inlet has lost long-distance telephone communication since late Tuesday afternoon. Contact with Hall Beach continues to be by radio out of Winnipeg. In both regions, the regional emergency response plans are in effect and the volunteer committees are monitoring community situations as the storm progresses. The full extent of the damage is not yet known.
The role of the Emergency Measures Organization throughout this process is as advisor to the regions, if and when required to the communities themselves. All effected communities have emergency response plans which give guidelines for the community's response to emergency incidents such as what is occurring presently. Community representatives have been trained in emergency response, especially those involving a stand-alone response where outside resources cannot be delivered to the effected community due to extreme weather conditions.
The Arctic hurricane is predicted to move out of the region over the next day, but only time will tell. The Emergency Measures Organization, through its regional contacts, will continue to monitor the situation. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the efforts and hard work of all community emergency teams in the Keewatin and Baffin as well as the Emergency Measures Organization. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.