The City of Quinte West has developed a specific plan on how to tackle flooding in the municipality.
A report from Deputy Fire Chief Dan Smith says the plan aims to help the city prepare for, respond to, and recover from flooding by laying out specific responsibilities and actions for staff and residents.
Smith tells Quinte News the plan works on a “self-help approach”.
He says the plan includes more of a focus on pre-planning for flooding events moving forward and the city will use all means of communication possible to let residents know when and how to prepare themselves for flooding on their properties.
Meanwhile, Mayor Jim Harrison is anxious about getting some of the equipment needed to put the plan into action.
The city has ordered a number of water-fillable flood barriers to protect various high-risk properties, but they haven’t arrived.
Harrison says he’d like that equipment to get here sooner rather than later.
Some of the high risk areas include the marina and fuel-pumping station there, the area behind the Farmers’ Market and others.
CAO Charlie Murphy says he’s been monitoring water levels closely and by his calculations they are already close to the historical maximum, with the spring thaw still weeks away.
