Cities urged to plan for extreme weather

New Brunswick cities need to start planning to deal with more extreme weather, according to a senior Environment Canada climatologist.

David Phillips said he agrees with Paul Groody, the commissioner of municipal operationsin Saint John, who told the city's politicians on Monday night that it is time to think about climate change and its impact on local services.

Saint John officials are still coming to grips with the flood damage left behind by Hurricane Hannah, which dropped 145 millimetres of rain, and tropical storm Danny, which brought more than 100 millimetres of rain, in August.

Phillips said the recent bouts of heavy rainfall in the province can't exactly be linked to climate change but that doesn't mean the city shouldn't start preparing for more extreme weather conditions.

Phillips said wetter conditions are on the horizon and surfaces like asphalt and cement don't allow excess water to be absorbed properly.

"The fact is that we have changed as much as the climate has changed," he said.

"With the buildup of pavement and asphalt and rooftops of buildings and these surfaces do not absorb [water] and they actually run off. In many ways, even if the climate hasn't changed, the flood climatology has."

Phillips said homeowners can do their part by refitting their homes and basements with better drainage systems.

New options considered

Groody told Saint John council earlier this week that they should be looking at ways to accommodate climate change. In some parts of the city, Groody said the flooding is the worst that he has ever seen.

The city official said council should consider purchasing a water-diversion system for the Glen Falls area. The system would capture water that flows down the hillside and reroute it to another part of town to reduce the chance of flooding.

Groody pointed out that there could be negative health effects associated with overflowing sewage lines if these extreme storms continue causing flooding in the city.

"Sewage pumping stations are designed to overflow during extreme events so you could get from time to time raw sewage into the environment," he said.

More than 50 homes were flooded in the Saint John area after tropical storm Danny swept through in late August.

Meanwhile in Moncton, roughly 160 homes were flooded when Danny drenched the city on Aug. 29 and 30.