Goderich Signal Star, 2017-03-15, Page 15Flood warning maps
could assist municipalities
Wet ground conditions could lead Resources and Forestry
to runoff during storm event (MNRF) plays a lead role
during a flooding emergency
• but conservation authorities
Flood warning zone maps
could assist municipalities in
notifying people, living in
areas where flooding is the
worst, during a severe flood-
ing event. Emergency coor-
dinators heard this at a
Flood Emergency Planning
Meeting hosted by Ausable
Bayfield Conservation
Authority (ABCA) on Thurs-
day, February 23, 2017.
More than 20 municipal
officials, emergency coordi-
nators, and reporters
attended the meeting which
was held at the Masonic Hall
in Exeter. Featured speaker
Gus Rungis, Senior Water
Resources Engineer with
Grand River Conservation
Authority (GRCA) spoke on
the development of flood
warning zone maps at his
conservation authority. The
keynote speaker shared pho-
tos of a number of flood
events that have hit New
Hamburg and the Nith River
system. The presenter said
the GRCA has developed
maps to identify where
flooding may be the most
severe in that area during
different storm events and
where that flooding might
impact properties and roads
the most. The maps and
property lists assist munici-
palities in knowing whom
they should contact directly
in a flood emergency event.
Other speakers at the
meeting included Davin
Heinbuck, Lands and Water
Technologist with ABCA,
presenting on current
watershed conditions and
roles and responsibilities in
the ABCA Flood Emergency
Plan; and Ross Wilson,
ABCA Water and Steward-
ship Technologist, present-
ing on testing of the ABCA's
flood message system.
The attendees at the meet-
ing heard that a warm 2016-
2017 winter has meant there is
less snow cover and ice so
there are fewer concerns this
year with ice jams or rapid
snowmelt. Municipalities
should still be prepared, how-
ever, in case winter snow-
storms or heavy rain events
return, Heinbuck said. Even
though there is little snow and
ice, the ground conditions are
wet and heavy rains are likely
to run off the ground.
"The greatest danger right
now is heavy rain," he said.
The ABCA has conducted a
number of recent tests of its
flood message communica-
tions, Wilson said. The tests
have shown that municipali-
ties respond in less than an
hour, and often much sooner,
when they are required to
confirm that a flood message
has been received. ABCA
issues flood messages to
municipalities by fax and
email but municipal feedback
shows that email is becoming
the preferred means for them
to receive a flood message,
according to Wilson. A revised
Flood. Emergency. Plan for
2017 is to be released shortly.
Municipalities create
emergency plans and the
Ontario Ministry of Natural
Royal Canadian Legion Branch 109
56 Kingston St., Goderich N7A 3K4
519-524-9282
(1-0‘.
POT -O -GOLD BINGO
Sunday, March 19th
31 GAMES WITH THREE
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play an important role moni-
toring watershed conditions,
interpreting forecasts, and
sharing with municipalities
what local impacts there
might be to an approaching
flood event. ABCA can warn
municipalities if a flooding
event is likely to be minor or
major and provide technical
and planning assistance. The
conservation authority's
flood forecasting and warn-
ing program can help to
minimize property damage,
social disruption, and help
to prevent loss of life. ARCA
issues three levels of flood
messages: Watershed
Wedne:.day, March 15, 2017 • Signal Star 15
Contributed photo
The annual Flood Emergency Planning Meeting was held on February 23 for municipal officials and
emergency coordinators. Pictured here is featured speaker Gus Rungis, Senior Water Resources
Engineer with Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA).
Conditions Statements
(flood outlook and water
safety); Flood Watches; and
Flood Warnings. The terms
used by the conservation
authority now match those
used by Environment and
Climate Change Canada: 1.
Statement, 2. Watch, and 3.
Warning.
Those taking part heard
THE PRIDESMEN
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01944fittatoms
to Steven Scott,
who has graduated with honours from Fanshawe college
in the Agricultural Technician Program, and is also
the recipient of the top student award.
We are all proud of his hard work.
{ Love from family
Doug, Nolda, Cheryl and Hendrik Scott.
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that ABCA monitors weather
and watershed conditions
including streamflow at local
stream gauge stations and
river levels; measures snow
cover and water equivalent
in the snowpack; and gath-
ers information through
river watch reporting on
local rivers and presence of
ice. The presenters showed
examples of communities
prone to flooding in the
Parkhill Creek watershed
and Bayfield River and Ausa-
ble River watersheds. The
return of higher lakes levels
is causing erosion along lake
banks and beaches and may
affect lake bluffs, the emer-
gency coordinators were
told.
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Goderich
MinisteiI ,association
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0 PM at
St. Pet !Church
150 North S Beet Goderich
Speaker: Rev: Stephen Martin
Lunch to follow.
Free will offering greatly appreciated.
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