Caused by heavy rainfall, rapid snow melt, ice jams, or storm surges, floods are the most common natural disaster in Canada. They can happen at any time of year. In extreme cases, they can damage homes, properties, and endanger the safety of residents.
Climate change will make our community even more vulnerable to flooding in the decades to come. We can expect increasing rainfall, including during the winter months when the frozen soil can’t absorb as much water. As the city grows, more paved surfaces will have a similar effect, allowing flood waters to spread further and faster.
None of these problems are insurmountable. We must continue to invest in building resilient infrastructure, reinforcing our storm sewer system and natural waterways to weather the floods of the future.
What is the city doing?
For over two decades, the City of Fredericton has endeavoured to build safer and more resilient neighbourhoods and roads by engaging in a variety of flood mitigation projects, including:
- Raising roads and intersections
- Increasing the size of culverts
- Installing backflow valves to prevent river water from backing up into the City’s storm sewer system
- Building artificial ponds on City property that capture storm water and release it slowly (attenuation ponds)
- Constructing artificial earthen barriers along the river to guard against flooding (flood berms)
- Requiring development in flood prone areas to build living spaces at a minimum of 9 meters in elevation
- Acquiring flood prone properties along the river to protect riverbanks, preserve environmentally significant features, and facilitate public access
To learn more about your property’s flood risk and what the City is doing to make your neighbourhood more flood resilient, visit the Neighbourhood Flood Risk portal
