Flood preparedness study marks Ottawa above average with ‘B-‘ grade
Posted Feb 23, 2021 04:09:00 PM.
A new study from the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, at the University of Waterloo, is ranking Ottawa's flood preparedness grade above average, compared to other cities in Canada.
According to the study, Ottawa has a 'B-' grade, out of an average of 'C+' for 16 cities across Canada, including Halifax, Toronto and Vancouver.
Research for the study involved interviews with 53 municipal flood preparedness experts, and questions which asked them to rank themselves from a letter grade 'A' to 'E'
The study took into account critical infrastructure, public health and safety, and emergency preparedness.
According to Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation Director of Climate Programs Joanna Eyquem, the study isn't about pointing fingers.
“It's really not an opinion-based report, it's an evaluation of what the cities have really done on themselves,” Eyquem explains in an interview with CityNews.
She adds, past flood-related incidents, such as the flooding of the Ottawa River in both 2017 and 2019, help cities prepare for future events.
