(Vancouver) Group of engineers say better weather coordination and observation practices could help BC better prepare for natural disasters. They also warn that spring rains and thaw could worsen the damage from recent flooding.
These engineers from the University of British Columbia shared their preliminary observations in connection with the flooding last November with geotechnical engineer Jonathan Fannin, who fears that the snowmelt could further weaken already damaged structures like dikes. , highways and bridges.
Transportation engineer Amy Kim points out that lessons can be learned from the flooding to protect some critical infrastructure, shutting down some roads preventively and planning alternative routes.
Mr. Fannin believes that places like Hong Kong or Rio de Janeiro could serve as examples for British Columbia. In these large cities, a centralized warning system warns the population in the event of imminent danger or storms.
In Hong Kong, among others, residents receive alerts to inform them not to leave their homes when an extreme weather event is detected on radar.
As extreme weather events are expected to increase, he believes British Columbia could benefit from better monitoring of mudslides and debris passage in addition to better monitoring rivers and weather conditions. .
“I believe that we will have to improve our capacity to anticipate events, to disseminate alerts and to coordinate the contribution of a host of disciplines”, he maintained.