The Canadian Red Cross is launching a project in some Saint John-area neighbourhoods to raise awareness of flood risks and encourage action before disaster strikes.
Starting April 22, Red Cross volunteers will begin a door-to-door home flood-risk reduction campaign. Homeowners willing to participate in the project will receive information on flood awareness and simple low-cost actions they can take to reduce risks and increase their emergency preparedness.
Saint John has a history of flooding, with incidents of varying severity. Snow melt, ice jams and heavy rainfall are the principal causes.
With climate change and extreme weather events on the rise in Canada, flooding has emerged as the most pervasive and costly disaster, creating financial and mental health impacts to Canadians across many regions.
The New Brunswick government’s weekly River Watch forecast is not yet projecting flood levels in the Saint John area, which makes it a better time to consider mitigation measures rather than when flooding is under way.
“It is our hope with this door-to-door campaign that we encourage Saint Johners to take small actions to reduce potential damage from future flooding,” says Bill Lawlor, New Brunswick provincial director of the Canadian Red Cross. “Not only will this strengthen emergency preparedness in the region but can help households avert some of the financial and social stress of floods.”
With funding support from the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), the campaign in Saint John plus select communities in, Alberta and Ontario aims to reach at least 300 participating households per community in at risk areas. Lessons learned will be shared widely so all Canadians can reduce their risk and improve their emergency readiness and resilience.