Flood resiliency: insights from a survey of the Calgary business community

This document presents the outcomes of a survey conducted by the Calgary Chamber of Commerce with the aim to better understand the full impacts of the flood that occurred in 2013, and to assess both disaster mitigation efforts and flood recovery programs. The survey was conducted among the Chamber's members and the community at large.

The flood caused damage to businesses, homes, property and public infrastructure. Over the past two years, Calgary has faced a host of unprecedented disasters that have caused major damage to the city, impacting the business continuity as well. The aim of this assessment was to help businesses recover from the damage and build resiliency to minimize the impact of future events.

The survey asks questions about the effect of the flood, disaster preparedness activities and business owners’ opinions on government support programs. In doing so, the survey allows identification of key successes and highlights any shortcomings. The goal is to better understand the present level of disaster resiliency and to provide insights on how Calgary can better prepare for future contingencies. Specifically, the survey examines the role of both independent mitigation activities undertaken by businesses and the effectiveness of government programs that assisted in post-disaster recovery.