The city of Windsor is encouraging residents to take part in a national flood survey as part of the University of Waterloo's Partners for Action.
A 20-minute online-survey created by the university's Faculty of Environment and the Canadian Red Cross will gather information from residents in communities that have been affected by flooding.
Windsor-Essex was hit hard by flooding in 2016 and 2017, and the city's Karina Richters says the survey data will help fine-tune existing prevention plans.
"The city has several projects underway including the Sewer Master Plan and the revamp of our Climate Change Adaptation Plan," Richter says.
"This information that the University of Waterloo obtains can be shared with us and we can help make those programs stronger as well."
Richters, who is Windsor's Supervisor, Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change, tells AM800 News the city can also use the information to understand what preventative steps worked for residents, and what didn't.
"Did you take steps for your basement before you flooded? If you have flooded what steps have you taken after to prevent any future risk," she says. "That information is going to help us when we look at the SMP and CCAP."
Richter says feedback could reshape how the city gets the word out about flood prevention programs.
"If we find out the public isn't aware of certain programs the city already offers, that will help drive it and show us how we need to tweak our existing programs," says Richter.
She hopes between 500 and 1,000 residents participate in the online-survey — information will be collected until May 15.
Anyone without internet access can call 311 to participate.