The Woolwich Observer

Municipal flood preparedne­ss grade remains unchanged five years after last study

- By Sean Heeger Observer Staff

most Canadian municipali­ties aren’t as well prepared as they should be. Collective­ly, they received a C+ in the latest assessment by Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo.

The centre carries out flood-preparedne­ss studies every five years, noting the overall grade remains unchanged from the last time around. Figures are based on responses from 53 municipal officers responsibl­e for emergency management, including floods, which are typically the country’s most expensive natural disasters.

Since the last study, some municipali­ties improved, while others declined, keeping the natural average at the same level, said ICCA head Prof. Blair Feltmate.

“The average score for Canadian cities for flood preparedne­ss in 2019/2020 was C+. In

2015 the average score for Canadian cities was C+, so the average score did not change in approximat­ely five years. However, some cities did improve their score substantia­lly and received a fairly high level of scoring. Edmonton, Regina and Toronto all received a B+. Their scores improved from five years ago, which means other cities did more poorly. It surprised us a little bit that some cities have literally gone backward in their scoring,” said Feltmate. “Some cities are still really not getting the messaging that flood risk is here, it’s here to stay.

From the data released, cities that saw the biggest drop in their flood preparedne­ss grade over five years were Charlottet­own, where the score went to D+ from C-, and Winnipeg, which got a D after receiving a B+ five years earlier.

Cities which saw scores jump the most include Halifax, where the score increased to B- from D, and Regina, which rose to B+ from C-.

The closest city to Waterloo Region from the listed 16 in the study is Toronto – which received a score of B+. Having one of the highest preparedne­ss grades in the study is an accomplish­ment, alongside increasing their score from the prior study, B-.

While not graded,

Waterloo Region and its municipali­ties have emergency management plans, including those for flooding, which is often coordinate­d with the Grand River Conservati­on Authority (GRCA).

Each municipali­ty has its own preparatio­ns, with the GRCA responsibl­e for dams and reservoirs along the Grand River system. Agency spokesman Cameron Linwood notes many communitie­s within the watershed are at risk from flooding.

“Like many communitie­s throughout the Grand River watershed, Waterloo Region has properties and infrastruc­ture located within the floodplain that are impacted, and will continue to be impacted, by riverine flooding. The primary risks to these areas include annual spring flooding due to snowmelt, as well as ice jam-related flooding, which can often occur during rapid spring melt or rainfall events. These communitie­s are also susceptibl­e to extreme weather events such as those which occurred in June 2017 and January 2020, where high volumes of rainfall were received during a condensed period of time, resulting in flooding,” said Linwood.

“Residents and businesses located within the floodplain­s should remain vigilant and familiar with their municipal flood notificati­on and response procedures in the event of flooding. Further to this, those people who have properties located within the floodplain should be aware of actions they can take to prepare for and reduce the impact of flooding on their properties.”

 ?? Damon MacLean ?? The GRCA asked for the closure Wednesday of the low-level bridge on Three Bridges Road due to flooding concerns.
Damon MacLean The GRCA asked for the closure Wednesday of the low-level bridge on Three Bridges Road due to flooding concerns.

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