Flood-hazard mapping coming to province in 2019

Rising water levels and heavier precipitation brought on by climate change have pushed both provincial and federal governments to invest in flood-hazard mapping.

A $1.14 million project will be part of the province's Climate Change Action Plan and is aimed at reducing the impact of flooding in municipalities.

Two maps will be created, one for inland areas and the other for the coastline.

"The projects announced today will help the Province of New Brunswick better prepare for and prevent the effects of flooding," Ralph Goodale, the federal emergency preparedness minister, said in a news release.

The maps will serve as a resource for better infrastructure planning in the future, especially with the intensifying effects of climate change on the rise.

Mapping it out

Using the latest approaches in science and engineering, along with data on climate change, the flood-hazard maps will help predict storm surge risks, rising sea levels and wave effects.

The maps are also supposed to predict where water levels are expected to reach and how often it will happen, so that people in high-risk areas can take extra precautions.

The maps aren't only for established properties but for upcoming ones as well.

Mélanie Aubé of the Coastal Zone Research Institute said the data collected can be used in the form of a regular map.

But it can also be entered into a database for engineers and land-use planners to assess risk.

"It can identify the roads that are going to be flooded and may be not accessible — even how high the water can be relative to the height of a building or the road," she said.

"So you can plan on how high a certain infrastructure needs to be to not be at risk."

From the coast to the country

The first project will create New Brunswick's first complete set of flood-hazard maps for coastal areas. Those living along the coast will have access to up-to-date maps assessing where floodwaters from storms or sea levels will hit.  

"In coastal areas, if you combine rising sea levels with more intense precipitation events, you get a really complex situation, where you can be flooded by a tide, but also by inland water," Aubé said.

The researcher said she has seen such changes already in parts of the province.

A second project will be for inland areas. New maps will be created and older maps will be updated for more accurate readings.

The goal for the inland maps is to be proactive, so people can adapt and lessen their exposure time to floodwaters, the news release said.

The coastal maps are set to be ready for early 2019, while the inland maps are expected to be available in early 2020.

Aubé hopes the maps will give people a visual representation of what the risks are, so they can be ready to tackle whatever water comes their way.

The announcement comes three months after the devastating floods of 2018 that destroyed homes, businesses and infrastructure.