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Conservation Authorities have been managing natural hazards for more
than 40 years since Hurricane Hazel struck the greater Toronto area in
1954, claiming several lives.
A natural hazard is a natural process that has the potential to damage
property, injure humans and other organisms and tragically even loss of
life. Depending on the severity of the event, a natural hazard may
be deemed a natural disaster.
The primary objectives of natural hazards management is to prevent the
loss of life, to minimize social disruption, and to minimize property
damage within our watershed caused by natural hazards such as flooding,
erosion and unstable slopes.
FloodingWater levels can increase due to extreme
rainfall or snowmelt or as the result of debris or ice blocking a
watercourse. If water levels rise to high enough levels, the land
surrounding a river or stream becomes covered in water. A floodplain is an
area of flat land that lies adjacent to a stream or river. Floodplains are
periodically flooded when water levels rise.
There is mapping for all floodplain lands in the St. Clair Region
watershed. The province has adapted standards for addressing floodplain
management. The regulatory flood standard for St. Clair Region's watershed is
the Hurricane Hazel (1954) standard.
Erosion & Unstable SlopesErosion is a natural process
whereby the earth’s surface is worn away by the action of water, wind, ice
or waves. Erosion occurs in all rivers, streams and shorelines. Land use
changes and flooding can accelerate the rate of erosion in a watershed.
This accelerated rate of erosion can weaken the stability of slopes.
Resources
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