In 2022, post-Tropical Storm Fiona became the costliest weather event in Atlantic Canada, causing widespread damage across Prince Edward Island. The storm eroded over 51 square kilometres of coastal land, destroyed 11 square kilometres of sand dunes, and significantly impacted sediment distribution—reshaping the coastline and accelerating erosion of cliffs and tidal flats.
Following the crisis, the Government of PEI committed to gaining a better understanding of what happened before, during and after the emergency—with the goal of strengthening their preparedness for the future.
Collecting feedback from the frontlines
To get a clearer picture of the emergency response to Fiona, the government contracted Calian to conduct an independent, unbiased third-party after-action review (AAR).
This wasn’t the first time we provided an AAR to the province. In 2020, we had submitted a similar review regarding PEI’s 2019 response to post-Tropical Storm Dorian. In that report, we outlined several key recommendations—all of which the government had implemented by the time Fiona hit the Island.
Now, our goal was to evaluate how effectively the province prepared for, responded to and recovered from Fiona—and to identify best industry practices and opportunities to improve.
As part of Calian’s unique and holistic AAR methodology, our Emergency Management team gathered data and feedback from subject matter experts, over 140 partner and stakeholder organizations, and more than 300 Island households.
Providing a blueprint for better preparedness
Submitted to the client in November 2023, Calian’s Post-Tropical Storm Fiona After-Action Report focused on key areas including optimizing resource management, training, information management, business continuity and more.
Overall, we discovered that the insights gained from the Dorian AAR strengthened PEI’s emergency response to Fiona—helping the Island mitigate the storm’s destructive consequences. That said, Fiona’s extraordinary and unprecedented magnitude also revealed opportunities to further refine the province’s response plans. As a result, we provided 29 targeted recommendations to enhance PEI’s future preparedness for larger-scale, more complex environmental threats.
How AARs help build resilience in a changing climate
The events in Prince Edward Island show a concerning trend—with storms becoming bigger, more destructive, and posing greater challenges for emergency response. This is where Calian steps in—providing key insights so organizations can take quick and deliberate action when disaster strikes.
The need for AARs has never been more urgent. In 2023, the Earth’s land and ocean temperatures were about 1.2 degrees Celsius warmer versus the 20th-century average—leading to serious issues like rising sea levels, melting arctic ice and more intense weather disasters. As the effects of climate change continue to amplify natural disasters, after-action reviews will play an ever-more essential role in helping organizations build and optimize their resilience strategies.
Transforming emergency response management, step by step
The PEI government has fully embraced the recommendations from the Fiona AAR and is already making improvements to strengthen their emergency response.
By investing in multiple after-action reviews, PEI is more prepared than ever to act quickly and keep its communities safe during climate-related emergencies—positioning itself as a leader in emergency management in these increasingly unpredictable times.
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About Calian CARES
When it comes to Calian after-action reviews, the word we use to describe them is ‘defensible.’ We back up all our recommendations with solid evidence to support them, from subject matter experts who are on top of the latest and most innovative trends and best practices.
