Erosion and Flooding

PEI is affected by coastal erosion and coastal flooding. Because of our changing climate, inland flooding is also a risk in certain areas across the province. Erosion and flooding are hazards that impact everyone in PEI, in particular, residents and property owners in shoreline communities. View the video Flood Hazard in PEI. 

Erosion and Coastal Flooding

Prince Edward Island’s coastline is always changing. Our coastline is shaped by the forces of wind, waves, tide and changes in sea level.

Coastal erosion is the gradual wearing away of the land along the coastline due to natural processes such as waves, currents, tides and weather. It can be gradual or episodic and provides an important source of sand for beaches and sand dunes. The rate of erosion varies across across PEI depending on exposure, local geology, drainage, vegetation and land use. As sea levels continue to rise, coastal erosion is expected to increase, particularly with stronger storms and lower amounts of protective sea ice during winter. 

Coastal flooding is due to rising sea levels, severe storms and increase development in vulnerable areas. As sea levels continue to rise, coastal flooding events will reach higher elevations and impact areas further inland.

Inland Flooding

Inland flooding occurs when extreme rainfall cannot be absorbed into the ground fast enough, mainly in hard surface areas such as buildings, parking lots, roads, and frozen ground. Some properties in PEI are more vulnerable to inland flooding.

Many homes are at risk of flooding from heavy rainfall and plumbing leaks.  Heavy rainfall events will become more common with climate change. Home flooding can happen when water seeps into your house by the foundation and through windows that are at or below ground level. Get tips on protecting your home during heavy rain.  

Is my property at risk?

Island residents have access to a variety of resources to help track coastal changes over time, identify erosion and flood-risk areas, and protect vulnerable properties from the impact of coastal hazards. 

Climate Hazard & Risk Information System (CHRIS) is an interactive mapping system that shows how the PEI coastline has changed over time and help you explore the areas at risk of flooding. It can help you visualize areas at risk to both coastal flooding and inland flooding, the two primary causes of flooding in PEI. CHRIS provides coastal change and erosion data for the past 50 years. This data can be downloaded. 

The PEI Flood Guide: A Resource for Local Land Use Planning provides necessary information to decision-makers about flood risk in Prince Edward Island. This Guide describes coastal and inland flood risks, provides guidance for creating flood policy and reviewing development applications, and introduces tools that can be used to help set land use policies. View the PEI Flood Guide.

A Coastal Hazard Assessment will provide a summary of potential erosion and flood hazards of a specific property. You can request a free Coastal Hazard Assessment to find out more about the vulnerability of a property to coastal hazards. 

You can download a Watershed Flood Projections Report which will provide projected flood water elevations that can be used in the design of a property or site. 

Dealing with erosion and flood hazards

The provincial government has committed is developing coastal management policies to protect the coastline and reduce the risk of coastal hazards like erosion and flooding. These policies are being informed by the results of a recent study by the Canadian Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation (CCCA) at the University of Prince Edward Island. View the State of the Coast Report.

To learn more about what you can do to protect your home, you can take a free, online course called Protecting PEI Homes from Flooding and Erosion. This course has been developed by the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, in partnership with the Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action and the University of Prince Edward Island’s ClimateSense program. 

Take the Home Flood Protection Check-Up developed by the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation and the University of Waterloo.

You can use CLIMAtlantic's Coastal Adaptation Toolkit to find advice on how to best prepare for coastal climate impacts. This toolkit has been created to help coastal communities and property owners plan for the effects of climate change. 

Who can I contact for more information?

Please contact the Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action if you need assistance with these coastal hazard tools and resources at coastalproperty@gov.pe.ca.