Zeballos and Tahsis are among the 24 local governments and First Nations communities approved to receive $3.46 million in provincial emergency preparedness funding.
The provincial funding will help communities undertake flood risk assessment, flood mapping and flood mitigation planning among other preparedness operations.
Tahsis has been approved for $149,895 for flood mitigation preliminary design project.
Zeballos will receive $150,000 for planning and the Zeballos slope hazard mitigation feasibility study.
The Strathcona Regional District has also been approved for $150,000 to undertake the Northwest Vancouver Island tsunami mapping project.
The funding is part of the $69.5 million Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF), designed to help communities prepare for, and respond to, disasters. The maximum available funding for each applicant is $150,000.
The Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, in a statement, said that the province is supporting eligible applicants to ensure they have accurate knowledge of the flood hazards they face and to help them strategize and prepare for those risks.
“I have seen first-hand the loss and devastation catastrophic flooding can have on people, families and entire communities,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General.
“In order to reduce the effect of flooding on people and their livelihoods, we are investing now to support flood risk assessments, mitigation and planning work. These projects help create resiliency by improving the capacity of local government and First Nations to respond to and recover from severe flooding events.”
While the total investment from this funding intake is $3.46 million the ministry has also indicated that additional projects may receive funding once details are finalized.
Since the September 2017 Budget Update, communities and governments throughout B.C. have received more than $52 million through the CEPF.
The CEPF is a suite of programs designed to enhance the resiliency of local and regional governments, First Nations communities and their residents.
The Province provides the funding, which is administered by the Union of B.C. Municipalities and divided into seven streams. These include, flood risk assessment, flood mapping and flood mitigation planning, emergency support services, emergency operations centres and training, structural flood mitigation, evacuation routes, Indigenous cultural safety and cultural humility training, volunteer and composite fire departments equipment and training among others.
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