Please find attached an update on available options for enhanced flood forecasting and warning notifications and communication strategies by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.
Section III – Items for the Information of the Board
TO: Chair and Members of the Board of Directors
Friday, October 25, 2024 Meeting
FROM: Sameer Dhalla, Director, Development and Engineering
Services
RE: UPDATE ON AVAILABLE OPTIONS FOR ENHANCED
FLOOD FORECASTING AND WARNING NOTIFICATIONS
AND COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIES
___________________________________________________________
KEY ISSUE
To provide an update on Toronto and Region Conservation Authority’s
(TRCA) efforts to improve flood notification messaging.
RECOMMENDATION:
IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT Development and Engineering Services
(DES) work with Communications, Marketing, and Events (CME) Staff
and municipal partners and public officials, starting with areas
affected by the 2024 floods, to undertake an enhanced public
outreach campaign in order to increase awareness of, and
subscription to TRCA’s flood message notification;
AND THAT DES work with Information Technology and Records
Management (ITRM) to expand TRCA’s flood message notification
system to include SMS Text Message capability;
AND THAT on behalf of the Board of Directors, staff reach out to
TRCA municipal partners and request that TRCA flood messaging be
included on Municipal websites by the end of 2024;
AND THAT in collaboration with the City of Mississauga, staff pursue
the use of the national alerting system for local flood messaging;
AND THAT a Flood Risk Awareness Outreach Program be developed
in collaboration with municipal partners for implementation in 2026 or
sooner depending on available partner funding;
AND THAT staff report back in Q4 2025 with an update on the efforts
identified in this report.
Item 9.1
BACKGROUND
At Board of Directors Meeting held on September 27, 2024, Resolution #A
115/24 was approved as follows:
THAT staff, in consultation with municipal and agency partners,
be directed to report back at the next available meeting on
available options and associated funding estimates for
enhanced and updated weather alert notification applications
and communication strategies;
AND THAT staff be directed to report back at the next available
meeting with a report on what actions can be taken in the
immediate term, short term and long term for Flood Vulnerable
Areas impacted by the July 16, August 17, and August 18, 2024
storm events.
