Welcome to the Municipal Flood Risk Check-Up!
Municipal Flood Risk Check-Up
The Municipal Flood Risk Check-Up has been developed to support Canadian municipalities in better preparing for heavy rainfall, river, and coastal flooding. It is a self-assessment questionnaire with 50 questions designed to assess potential flood hazards (flood exposure), and implementation of actions to reduce flood risks (flood preparedness). The Check-Up helps users navigate the variety of existing standards, guidance, and tools available, and focuses on the role of municipal action at multiple levels: from the localized protection of individual homes to the management of flooding processes at the watershed scale.
10 Reasons to Complete the Municipal Flood Check-Up
- Gain an understanding of flood exposure, even where flood mapping is not available.
- Benchmark and document your current flood preparedness, drawing on Canadian guidance and standards.
- Document progress towards reduction of municipal flood risk over time.
- Access a library of key resources on flood risk and preparedness.
- Demonstrate municipal flood preparedness to interested parties.
- Prioritise actions for different flood types and at different scales.
- Inform future investment planning and funding applications.
- Anticipate and answer questions that may be asked by municipal insurers in developing insurance policies.
- Contribute to objectives and targets identified in Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy.
- Support municipal staff and service delivery.
Endorsement for the Municipal Flood Risk Check-Up
“Flooding is Canada’s most expensive climate hazard. As climate change supercharges heavy rainfall events, local governments from coast to coast to coast are finding they are changing policies, infrastructure, and services in order to keep up with new realities. One useful and freely available resource that can help increase the capacity of local governments to adequately respond to these changes is the Municipal Flood Risk Check-Up tool. The tool allows local governments to benchmark their flood risk management practices against national best practices, identifying areas of strength and opportunities for improvement in the mission to keep communities safe from climate hazards.”
– Carole Saab, CEO, Federation of Canadian Municipalities
Municipal Flood Risk Check-Up: A Flood Risk Check-Up for Canadian Municipalities: Tackling Flooding Together
By Joanna Eyquem and Mélie Monnerat
April 2024
The Municipal Flood Risk Check-Up was developed by 53 flood experts over two years, including representatives from all levels of government, and the municipal insurance provider Intact Public Entities. This report describes the development of the Check-Up and should be read by users in order to get the most out of the tool.
Read the Press Release here.
Infographic
A Flood Risk Check-Up for Canadian Municipalities: Tackling Flooding Together
This infographic summarizes the need for, and how to use, the “Municipal Flood Risk Check-Up”.
Video Training Series
Build flood resilience with the video training series
The Green Municipal Fund, together with the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo, has developed a free, one-hour video training series to help municipal staff use the Municipal Flood Risk Check-Up — a self-assessment tool that helps communities better understand and manage local flood risks.
Limitations
This check-up is indicative only and does not constitute a complete understanding or robust analysis of flood risk. A “low” exposure score or “high” preparedness score does not indicate that flood risk has been eliminated. The check-up will help you prioritise where you may need to improve your municipality’s flood risk management practices and find useful resources, but further work is required to quantify flood risk.
