Fathom & Aon’s Impact Forecasting to support Canada’s understanding of flood hazard

Fathom, the flood risk intelligence organisation, part of reinsurance giant Swiss Re, and catastrophe model developer Aon’s Impact Forecasting, have been granted a contract by Public Safety Canada, to enhance its understanding of flood hazard across Canada.

This comes just a month after Toronto suffered significant damage and disruption from flash flooding. The flooding caused over 167,000 people to lose power, and many vehicles and buildings were inundated, including Toronto’s Union Station.

It’s important to highlight that flooding is the most common and costly natural hazard in Canada. Each year it causes billions in direct damage to dwellings, property and infrastructure, affecting thousands of citizens across the country.

However, the frequency and severity of these natural disasters is only expected to increase under climate change.

Realising this, Public Safety Canada initiated an open procurement process to licence flood hazard information for the entire country.

The combined team, set to be led by Fathom, will reportedly provide the Government of Canada with a flood hazard dataset that depicts flood extents and depths for a number of return periods, flood generating mechanisms, and climate change scenarios.

Gavin Lewis, Head of Engineering at Fathom, commented: “Our flood risk intelligence is built upon world-leading peer-reviewed research, to help organizations make informed decisions with confidence. We are incredibly proud to be providing this vital hazard data to the Government of Canada.”

Adam Podlaha, Global Head of Aon’s Impact Forecasting, said: “Aon is excited to have been able to help drive this initiative through the provision of our extensive high-resolution inland flood data and expertise in flood peril, and in so doing support the development of a national flood risk assessment in Canada.”

Veronica Scotti, Chairperson of Public Sector Solutions at Swiss Re, added: “Following on its leading role in establishing a robust flood insurance market and contributing to the review of the DFAA program, I’m delighted Swiss Re continues to play its part to put comprehensive flood risk information into the hands of the Government of Canada.”

This website states: The content on this site is sourced from the internet. If there is any infringement, please contact us and we will handle it promptly.