Flooding in Ontario is escalating and it is a challenge for Ontario's flood
management system to cope with changes in flooding.
Climate change, urbanization, and aging urban
infrastructure have diminished the capacity of watersheds to cope with
increased storm runoff, exposing growing populations to increased flood
risk.
Research shows us that storms in Ontario have become more frequent
and powerful. From 2000 to 2005, Ontario
experienced ten severe storms that exceeded intensities that are
normally expected less than once every 100 years. These storms caused
over $360 million in damages.
In a recently released report, Protecting People & Property: A Business Case
for Flood Prevention & Control, Conservation Ontario outlines
critical areas that need to be addressed including:
§
Flood plain maps
§
Aging flood control
infrastructure
§
Technical capacity -
computer models
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Ongoing maintenance,
repair and replacement
§
Monitoring, regulation
& facility operations
§
Climate Change studies
