By Canadian Press

Regions brace to fight rising flood waters and cases of COVID-19

Mar 28, 2020 | 4:01 AM

OTTAWA — Flood-prone regions across the country are bracing to fight emergencies on multiple fronts as they plan for rising water and rising levels of COVID-19.

In cities like Ottawa that have been hit by floods for several years in a row, there is a real prospect of fighting a flood and a pandemic at the same time.

Last year Ottawa, like other regions, relied heavily on thousands of volunteers to fill sandbags to protect homes and stop the water from washing ashore.

But the call to practise physical distancing has officials scratching their heads about what they’ll do if the floods come again.

Premiers in Manitoba and New Brunswick, two provinces with historically flood-prone regions, say they’re cautiously optimistic about the latest flood forecasts.

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So far they are relatively favourable, but officials say they must plan for the worst-case scenario since forecasts can change on very short notice.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 27, 2020.

The Canadian Press