‘Canadians need to do better job of preparing for major storms’: Professor says

By Mark Hodgins

A professor at the University of Waterloo says Canadian cities need to do a better job of preparing for the major storms he says are becoming the norm.

This issue has been top of mind as Hurricanes Harvey and Irma reach the record books.

Dr. Blair Feltmate, head of the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo, told NEWS 95.7 cities, from Halifax to Victoria, are experiencing floods of greater magnitudes.

“So they’re really realizing that it’s something they have to attend to, and we’re starting to do a pretty good job on picking up any slack,” said Feltmate.

He said in his estimation, Halifax is doing good work in preparing for major flooding in the future and that’s a good thing, because hurricanes are going to start reaching Atlantic Canada with more power as the world warms.

“There is just more energy in the system and, quite frankly, as result of climate change more warming of the planet,” he said.

On a personal level, Feltmate said it’s important to make sure you know exactly what coverage your insurance provides for flooding, as the average cost of a flooded basement in the HRM is around $43,000.

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