Designated Floodplain

This dataset includes the coastal floodplain and Still Creek floodplain within the City of Vancouver. A floodplain is a lowland area that is susceptible to flooding from an adjoining watercourse, ocean, lake or other body of water.

Sea level has increased over the last century and is expected to rise at an accelerated rate over the next century.  In 2014, the City of Vancouver (the City) assessed the potential for present and future flooding along the shorelines of Vancouver in response to the Province of British Columbia’s sea level rise planning recommendations to all local governments in British Columbia.

Scenario 1 delineates the potential for coastal flooding under present (year 2013) conditions caused by a current 500-year return period ocean event.  A 500-year return period ocean event means that, on average, the event will occur once in 500 years (or a 0.2% AEP event).

Scenario 3 ​shows the coastal area that could flood in Vancouver due to a major storm (1:500 year storm) in 2100, with 1 metre of sea level rise and 0.6 m of freeboard should no interventions take place.

The
Still Creek floodplain shows the areas subject to overland flooding due to the creek overflowing.

Wave effect zone is defined as a general term describing all aspects of wave interaction with a coastal structure including wave setup, wave run-up and overtopping.  The area that is exposed to wave effect are the areas of the coastline where wind-induced waves can significantly raise the coastal water level above stillwater conditions.​ Data accuracy​Original data was in UTM Zone 10N, NA83 (EPSG:26910)Source:
​ Maps 1-8 on page 5/89 of Coastal Flood Risk Assessment (​CFRA)1 Maps​ Websites for further information

Sea level rise

Fraser River Coastal Adaptation Plan

False Creek Coastal Adaptation Plan

Flood prevention tips