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Pitt Meadows gets grant to study flood risks

Project will enable completion of risk assessment of flood hazards in city floodplain.
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The City of Pitt Meadows has been awarded an $85,000 grant for a flood hazard risk assessment project.

The grant is from the National Disaster Mitigation Program, established by the Government of Canada in partnership with the Province of B.C.

The project will enable the completion of a comprehensive risk assessment of flood related hazards in the city’s floodplain and provide critical information for emergency planning and resource allocation.

“Emergency Management B.C. is pleased to work with the Government of Canada and the City of Pitt Meadows to provide this critical funding toward flood mitigation planning,” said Jennifer Rice, British Columbia’s Parliamentary Secretary for Emergency Preparedness.

“The Province of British Columbia is committed to disaster preparation and planning to help communities in B.C. manage emergencies when they happen, and be able to recover as efficiently as possible.”

With approximately 85 per cent of the community located within the floodplain, flood protection and drainage is critical to Pitt Meadows.

According to a Fraser Basin Council report, the majority of the city lies within flooding extents for the current and year 2100 models.

A risk assessment is required to better inform future mapping, mitigation planning and investment.

“Given the recent flooding in Houston, Texas and the massive response needed to protect people and property, this is a timely part of our emergency planning strategy,” said Mayor John Becker.

“It will allow council to appropriately allocate resources to address emergency response and recovery when needed.”

The Flood Hazard Risk Assessment project will identify risks that directly affect land owned by the city, portions of land in the City of Maple Ridge, the Katzie First Nation, Metro Vancouver Regional District, the Province of British Columbia, and private landowners.

Using established risk assessment measures, the project will also estimate likelihood of flooding, consequences of flooding, as well as flood hazards, asset inventory, identify vulnerable populations, and dike structural and seismic hazards.

“The city has been working toward preparation plans for all types of emergencies, and the flood hazard risk assessment project will allow for planning for potential operational and logistical needs and help reduce the impact of flooding disasters in Pitt Meadows,” said Barbara Morgan, emergency program coordinator for the city.

The project is expected to be complete by March 2018.