Emergency Preparedness & Flood Risk

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Emergency Preparedness

While Ontario is a safe place to live and work, emergencies can happen anywhere and at any time. Emergency Management Ontario (EMO) coordinates a system of mutually supportive partnerships that manages emergencies in Ontario.

Each municipality must develop and implement an emergency management program to protect the lives and property of its citizens. The Municipality of Huron Shores has an Emergency Response Plan that is reviewed and renewed annually. Review the current Emergency Response Plan.

Individuals and families are responsible for their own safety, preparedness, and well-being. In the event of a large-scale emergency, entire neighbourhoods may temporarily be isolated from local emergency service providers and utilities. Individuals and families should be prepared to take care of themselves for at least 72 hours in the event of an emergency.

Learn more about how to prepare your family or workplace.

Links:

How to Prepare for an Emergency – Brochure

Emergency Management Ontario – Guidelines in developing a Emergency Plan

The Vulnerable Person Registry

The goal of the VPR is to provide police with quick access to critical information about a registered person so the officer can assist in an emergency situation. When a Vulnerable Person is thought to be at risk, his or her personal information will be shared with relevant organizations, enabling them to quickly respond and provide effective assistance to the registrant.

Vulnerable Persons Registry – Check Eligibility & Register

VPR Information Brochure

VPR Information Poster

Flood Risk Assessment

Are you #FloodReady? You might think that flooding won’t affect you, especially if you don’t live near water. But floods can happen anywhere, any time, and to anyone.

Learn more, visit: https://www.canada.ca/…/know-the-risks/risk-floods.html

Flood hazard identification and mapping for high-risk areas throughout the Municipality of Huron Shores is a crucial environmental planning component of the municipality. The in-depth studies of watersheds in Huron Shores provides the data required to determine areas of concern; communicate flood risk to the public; aid in future updates to the Official Plan and Zoning; and assist in emergency management. Combined, these actions improve Huron Shores’ resilience to future flood events and help to reduce flood risk and damage.

In 2021, comprehensive studies were carried out through the National Disaster Mitigation Program (NDMP), Stream 1 Risk Assessment to form the basis of up-to-date planning with further studies to be carried out in 2023.

Background

In the 1980s and 1990s, under the Flood Damage Reduction Program (FDRP), a number of communities, in Ontario, with a known history of flooding were mapped and the 1:100-yr return period flood risk zones were designated. Since their creation, these flood risk zone maps have been incorporated into a wide range of land-use policies by provincial and municipal governments for transportation, land-use development, regulations, and municipal plans. Since the 1990s, little has been done to update the flood mapping for the growing communities.

Until the new studies began in 2021, the Municipality of Huron Shores flood data was limited, relying on dated maps produced through the Ontario FDRP, circa in the 1980s, with very limited geographic area mapped.

In order to update and correct the current floodplain mapping, Hatch Ltd. was retained to provide The Municipality of Huron Shores with a comprehensive flood risk assessment for high-risk areas within the municipality.

The main objective of the Stream 1 Risk Assessment under the National Disaster Mitigation Program (NDMP) was to provide Huron Shores with the information required to make proactive risk-based decisions on what actions could be initiated to improve the safety and resilience of the community against future flood events. Those future actions help to reduce flood risk and damages.

Completion of the Stream 1 Risk Assessment project provided a new 2021 Flood Risk Assessment report including in-depth data collection methods that involved bathymetry assessments, LiDAR collection, hydrology and hydraulics assessments and quantitative risk assessment analysis and recommendations.

With new data in hand, the Municipality of Huron Shores then held two Public Information Sessions in partnership with Hatch Ltd, to provide the outcomes of the report to the public. These sessions were carried out in February 17, 2022 and September 8th, 2022.

On October 26th, 2022, the Council of the Municipality of Huron Shores determined that the 2022 Inland Flood Line Interpretation Report would replace the Land Use Schedules of the Huron Shores Official Plan as the ‘engineered flood lines’ for the purposes of Section 4.11 of Zoning By-law #18-18.

For full, comprehensive details of this process, the studies that were carried out, the new flood lines, maps, and recommendations please review the following links by clicking below:

UPDATE: 2024

After the Phase 1 studies, new flood prone areas were identified. As a result, the Municipality initiated Phase 2 of the flood risk studies to further analyze those newly affected areas. Upon completion of Phase 2, the Municipality intends to examine implementing a two-zone, elevation-based approach for development. The regulatory maps will identify flood vulnerable areas which will assist Council in implementing appropriate structural and non-structural measures that could reduce such flood risks and damages while providing a more flexible approach to planning and development in those areas.

Council will meet in February 2024 to review the preliminary findings for the Phase 2 Flood Risk Studies with the Consultants. A public meeting will then be scheduled to provide this new data to the public.

Listen in to the Municipality’s annual Mississagi River Monitoring Committee meeting. Usually held the first Thursday in April each year. These meetings provide updates on the state of the river flows and updates on current water levels. For more information or to listen in, email the Municipal Office for information at email@huronshores.ca.

Historical Data

1979: Major spring flooding hit Iron Bridge, forcing the evacuation of over a dozen homes in a lower section of the village when the Mississagi River overflowed its banks. Water reached depths of 5 feet outside homes on Mississauga Crescent.