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Features
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20121/3/18
Floods
FLOODING 2021 - IS CANADA READY TO COPE WITH EMERGENCIES IN A PANDEMIC SITUATION?
WT Staff
Climate change effects include increases in the frequency and intensity of hazards such as floods, wildfires, droughts, extreme temperatures, extreme wind, melting permafrost, coastal erosion, and damage to seasonal ice roads. Nationally, flooding is the costliest natural peril (IBC 2019c), according to a Report published by the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation in August 2020. The escalating costs of extreme weather events has led to a discernable upward trend in losses in recent years, with greater than 50% of growing costs attributable to flooding.
The upward trend in claims is not solely a function of extreme weather. Compounding factors that can affect flood claims include loss of natural infrastructure, aging municipal infrastructure, and housing construction practices that did not incorporate flood-resilience considerations.
In Canada, provincial, territorial and municipal governments all share the responsibility for emergency management. According to the Intact Report, the Canadian Average Score on Flood Preparedness for 2019 was C, with the highest score being B-, and the lowest score being C-.
The flood preparedness of Canada’s provinces was evaluated relative to several criteria, including floodplain mapping, hazard mapping, land use planning, new development projects, critical infrastructure assessment, public health and Safety and emergency .
"Canada is not focusing nearly enough on preparedness for extreme weather risk. The general lack of readiness means that if a large-scale flooding event were to occur this spring alongside the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact on Canadians could be 'catastrophic'." - Blair Felmate, Lead author, Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation
Map - Intact Centre on CLimate Adaptation
With flood season around the corner, WT sent email questions to Public Safety Ministers in each province and territory to get their take on the preparedness of their jurisdiction.
Our questions and the answers received are below. We will keep adding as other provinces get back to us.
British Columbia
Click on link for q&a
Manitoba
Click on link for q&a
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Québec
Click on link for q&a
New Brunswick
Click on link for q&a
Nova Scotia
Click on link for q&a
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