The federal government has launched Canada’s first publicly available Flood Risk Finder. Provinces and territories can now join the platform so local hazard and risk information is accessible for Canadians living in those jurisdictions.

Flooding is the most common and costly natural hazard in Canada, causing an average annual loss of more than $2 billion. The new platform will guide homeowners, renters, and businesses on how to improve their preparedness and resilience.

“Municipalities are the first to respond and the first to see the growing impacts of climate change every day, and we welcome the federal government’s update on Canada’s Flood Risk Finder to strengthen flood awareness and preparedness,” said Rebecca Bligh, president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

“Reducing exposure to flooding will take sustained collaboration across all orders of government. As provinces and territories opt in, municipalities and Canadians will be looking for high-quality, transparent data that reflects local conditions and builds on the resilience measures municipalities already have underway.”

With an address search, users will be able to quickly find information about the risk in their area, rated on a four-point scale from low to extreme. This new tool complements other sources of data, like local, provincial, and territorial maps, and fills gaps that can make flood risk information difficult to obtain and understand.

Over this summer, Public Safety Canada will advance the rollout of the resource across the country. The government department collaborated with Statistics Canada and Natural Resources Canada to develop the tool’s data and usability testing.

Users can access the Flood Risk Finder here.