While it’s too soon to say what the flood risks will be this spring, the Yukon government is urging folks to get ready for a flooding emergency, just as they are.

“I know flood preparedness is on top-of-mind for many Yukoners,” Community Services Minister Richard Mostyn said Thursday. “Now is the time to start preparing your homes and properties.

“Make sure you are insured against flood impacts, including coverage for overland flooding or sewer backup.”

For its part, the Yukon government is working to improve communications during an emergency, support municipal and First Nations with their emergency plans, conduct more flood mapping, and beef up emergency preparedness with equipment and training.

Already, Mostyn said, the government is committed to spending $1.5 million to beef up public communications and tools, including improving the information on the https://yukon.ca website, and an evacuation notification system that tracks who’s out and who’s staying put.

“We want to improve the way we respond to floods and pave the way for better communications with Yukoners,” Mostyn said. “We’re talking to experts about how to inform the public better.”

STARLINK BACKUP

Work is underway with the federal government as funder to purchase up to 10 Starlink base stations to be deployed where and as needed in the event regular telecommunications are disrupted, as they were in the N.W.T. last summer.

Given last year’s flooding events, Dawson City and area will likely be the first location to be able to use the new satellite communications system, Mostyn said.

The Yukon government is also looking at adding AM/FM coverage to the Rock Creek and Henderson Corner areas.

And while it’s hard to predict an ice-jam flood, Department of Highways and Public Works crews have been working on the drainage on Australia hill by the Dawson airport.

The government is also pre-positioning supplies in several communities with a higher threat level to be used in case roads become impassable, such as pumps and sand bagging equipment.

NEW INSURANCE FUND

A major change this year will be the creation of a permanent Yukon Disaster Assistance Program, Mostyn said.

It will set out what costs people are covered in the event of an evacuation, for example.

“Residents need to know what to expect in the event they are displaced,” he said.

“This will get money into people’s hands sooner. This program will include funding streams to support households, small businesses, and farms.”

No dollar figure is available yet as legislative approval is needed.

Mostyn noted the confusion in the wake of the N.W.T. evacuations last summer is something the Yukon government wants to avoid.

“But the Yukon government will not cover insurable losses,” he stressed.

“And you’re responsible for your properties, whether it’s FireSmarting, flood mitigation, fixing your sump pump, getting your appliances off the floor ....”

YG BACKS UP COMMUNITIES

Over this past winter, Emergency Measures Organization (EMO) staff have helped municipalities and First Nations update their emergency plans, EMO planner Shane Skarnulis said.

EMO is now in the midst of doing “table top” exercises, having completed three so far, with four more scheduled.

Both Skarnulis and Mostyn stressed that when it comes to an emergency, the municipality or First Nation has the lead, as they know their area best.

“Each one has an emergency plan, tailored to their community’s reality,” Skarnulis said.

“The Government of Yukon is here to step in to provide extra resources, staff and co-ordination assistance when an emergency becomes too much for a community to manage on its own,” Mostyn said.

Behind the scenes, the government is working on flood hazard mapping projects and exploring high-level options for flood mitigation in communities.

The Yukon is tied into national efforts to improve flood forecasting and emergency communications methods, given the climate change impacts across Canada.

Mostyn said this year’s flood risk briefing was earlier than usual, but given the history of the past few years – Dawson (2023), across Yukon (2022) and around Marsh Lake (2021) – it was important to encourage Yukoners “to be prepared for any flood-related emergencies that may occur this spring.”