Understanding and Assessing Impacts
The Grand Forks model of flood response and recovery was based on a partnership between the Regional District of Kootenay-Boundary Emergency Program, the City of Grand Forks, and multi- stakeholder leadership from across a number of sectors in the community. The flood had significant social, psychological and health impacts on the community, particularly for the low-income, homeless/precariously housed, elderly, women and Indigenous peoples. The neighbourhoods that were most impacted were North and South Ruckle and Johnson Flats. These neighbourhoods include a larger proportion of rental housing than other parts of Grand Forks as well as many older houses in need of maintenance and repair.
In June of 2018, citizens affected by the recent flood were engaged in a conversation to hear what steps were in motion to advance the community from the Response phase of the flood event to Recovery phase, as well as to understand the different roles in each phase, and to have their questions answered by a panel of representatives involved in the Recovery Plan. The first step was to do a hydrological impacts assessment of the entire river system in order to obtain much needed data about the river flow and how it had changed, the channels it had carved, the soil effects and the debris that had been deposited along its length. The study would allow the Recovery Team to make informed decisions on where to enhance flood protection that would not create an impact on downstream areas. A separate flood hazard assessment within the City of Grand Forks also recalculated the 200-year flood level and updated mapping of the floodplain. This information was essential to support construction of new flood control structures under the Critical Infrastructure plan to restore and rebuild dikes, pathways, roadways, and sanitary and storm sewer systems.