Last week, the Water Security Agency (WSA) announced a $9 million investment in flood mapping across the province to help mitigate community risk from natural disasters.
Sean Osmar, a spokesperson for WSA, said flood mapping is a program used to identify communities at risk of flooding. To determine a community's flood risk, WSA uses several methods, including Aerial LiDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging. This method uses laser light to measure distances and generate detailed 3D models of the area.
“We work with the community and then do the aerial LiDAR, which is basically scanning the ground,” Osmar said. “We gather that data, do some ground surveys to confirm what the data says, and begin some modeling and hydraulic calculations.”
He added that by using hydraulic and hydrological modeling, they can get a more accurate picture of flood risk in a particular community.
“WSA continues to work with communities that may be at risk, but some of the work we’re doing in this initial phase is to help identify some of those communities that may not even be aware of it themselves,” Osmar said.
Osmar added that if that is the case, the information they gather will assist them and the community in deciding on their next steps.