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Features
2021/3/18
Flood Preparedness
brought to you in part by
QUÉBEC - SCORE C Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation
Answers have been translated from French.
WT - Public health orders in 2020 prioritized pandemic response over flood response. At-risk property owners were advised to make evacuation plans, as physical distancing requirements would not be waived for sandbagging crews. Assuming that Covid-19 measures and physical distancing specifically remain in force, has your government considered alternative measures to deal with emergency flooding?
Given the context of the pandemic that we are experiencing, the movements of emergency preparedness advisers are restricted. However, the accompaniment and support offered to municipalities remain the same. They can count on their regional civil security directorates which will be in constant communication with them. Conference calls will be preferred over face-to-face preparation and coordination meetings. It will be important to observe the precautionary and hygiene measures prescribed by the Ministry of Health and Social Services during activities surrounding the management of the flood.
Moreover, if evacuations were necessary in the event of flooding, it is obvious that in the current context, this issue could not be dealt with as usual. In order to avoid the risk of contamination, exceptional guidelines have been issued:
- The government will not allow the opening of accommodation centers for disaster victims;
- Accommodation in hotels, motels and other similar establishments * or accommodation with relatives are preferred. For this last option, accommodation is only possible to the extent that the state of health of the victims and that of their relatives allows it;
- Citizens living in risk areas are invited to consider a place where they can find accommodation in the event of a flood. Municipalities are also invited to provide places where disaster victims could be accommodated in case of need;
- The opening of disaster service centres will be permitted. They will of course have to comply with public health instructions as well as the reception capacity established according to compliance with health standards.
Remember that citizens are primarily responsible for their security. They must prepare for disasters and, if needed, they can get support from their municipality and the government.
* The Minister of Public Security will exceptionally agree to reimburse the costs then incurred by municipalities wishing to accommodate their disaster-stricken citizens in commercial accommodation, for a maximum period of 15 days (from the 4th day). This reimbursement will be made according to the terms of the General Compensation and Financial Assistance Program in the event of real or imminent disasters.
The Ministère de la Sécurité publique is aware of the additional complexity that the pandemic adds to the management of the coming flood and it counts on the collaboration of all.
WT - While monitoring mitigates the risks of flooding, infrastructure also plays an important role. What measures is your Government considering in order to prevent faulty infrastructure issues such as the breached dyke in Ste-Marthe-sur-le-Lac in 2020?
Measure 8 of the Land Protection Plan against Floods, announced by the Government of Quebec in March 2020, provides that the Ministry of the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change (MELCC) will work, with other government partners , on the establishment of rules on governance and responsibility for protective structures such as dikes.
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WT - Climate Change - According to your information, the Government Operations Center (COG) continuously monitors weather conditions, snowmelt, water conditions and flow rates in several Quebec rivers. With the unpredictability of current weather patterns with extreme rainfall events far more prevalent, how confident are in you about these forecasts? Are these measures sufficient to mitigate flood risks and damages in the current context or is the government considering further measures to deal with climate change?
It is difficult to predict the intensity of the spring freshet at this time as several factors must be considered when assessing the risk of flooding. Beyond the amount of snow on the ground, you have to take into account night and day temperatures as well as the amount of rain that fell at the time of the melt.
For example :
- Favorable conditions are a slow melt with little precipitation and temperatures below freezing at night.
- On the other hand, if we have heavy rains that stretch over several days, combined with hot temperatures both day and night, there is a greater risk of flooding.
Currently, snowfall amounts on the ground are generally below seasonal norms, with the exception of an area running from the Outaouais-Chibougamau axis, where they are close to normal.
Seasonal forecasts point to a spring that will begin with gradual increases in temperature. According to the models, the lack of ice observed in the Gulf of St. Lawrence will promote temperatures above seasonal norms in eastern Quebec. There may be a little more precipitation than normal in March, however with the expected gradual rise in temperatures, there is no anticipated issue at this point.
The Public Safety Ministry (MSP) continues its monitoring and remains in contact with experts from the Ministry of the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change (MELCC), Hydro-Quebec (HQ), Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). As mentioned, the MSP coordinates the Flood Expertise Table on which the aforementioned experts sit. Some of the members of this Table are also members of the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Commission and the International Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River Council. The MSP relies in particular on these two organizations which ensure integrated water management in the basins of the Ottawa River and Lake Ontario - St. Lawrence River.
The specialized information gathered tells us that despite the high levels of the lakes upstream of Lake Ontario, the level of the latter is currently below normal at the same date. Ice covers are now firmly established on the Great Lakes. The MSP closely follows the levels of the Great Lakes, which influence the flooding of the St. Lawrence River.
Civil security, in collaboration with its partners, constantly analyzes the data in order to monitor in real time and anticipate the behavior of the various rivers in Quebec. In addition, the MSP has developed the Vigilance tool, which allows you to monitor increases in flow and level and see at a glance which water bodies need to be monitored or which exceed their flood threshold. The MSP also monitors river ice using satellite imagery.
Finally, it should be noted that in recent years, as part of the 2013-2020 Climate Change Action Plan (PACC), the MSP has subsidized several municipal initiatives to improve the monitoring of waterways at risk of water damage.
WT - Infrastructure - While monitoring mitigates the risks of flooding, infrastructure also plays an important role. What measures is your Government considering in order to prevent faulty infrastructure issues such as the breached dyke in Ste-Marthe-sur-le-Lac in 2020?
Measure 8 of the Land Protection Plan against Floods, announced by the Government of Quebec in March 2020, provides that the Ministry of the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change (MELCC) will work, with other government partners. , on the establishment of rules on governance and responsibility for protective structures such as dikes.
WT - Financial Asistance - According to your website, when a natural disaster occurs, the Québec Government may declare the event eligible for funding under Financial Assistance Program. This assistance compensates for losses to eligible homeowners and businesses including the cost of evacuation. Media reports estimated the cost of Flooding Assistance in Québec at $26 million in 2009. What was the estimated amount in 2020?
The Department of Public Security is responsible for financial assistance with respect to actual or imminent disasters or other events that compromise the safety of people and the integrity of communities with the objective of supporting the return to life. normal.
On April 10, 2019, the government adopted, under section 100 of the Civil Protection Act (chapter S 2.3), Decree No. 403-2019 establishing the General Compensation and Financial Assistance Program for real or imminent disasters (PGIAF) intended, among other things, to compensate for damages suffered by individuals, owners of rental buildings, businesses, municipalities and organizations that have provided aid and assistance due to a disaster. This decree provides that the Minister of Public Security is responsible for the application of this program.
Following the exceptional floods that occurred in the spring of 2019, sums totaling more than $ 435 million were paid for the floods and rains that occurred from April 14 to 24, 2019, in municipalities in Quebec. (Data as of March 8, 2021).
During the year 2020, the scale of the claims occurred was less than in 2019. To date, sums of more than 765 K $ have been paid for the floods and rains that occurred from March 29 to April 6, 2020 and over $ 940K for those occurring from December 24 to 26, 2020 (Data as of March 8, 2021).
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