High River Flood Relief

MNC Delivered GIS Support for Emergency Flood Recovery in High River

Aerial view of flooding in the community of High River, with water covering residential streets and neighborhoods

See How MNC Delivered GIS Support for Emergency Flood Recovery in High River

Watch the video showing how in June 2013, the Town of High River, Alberta, was severely impacted by catastrophic flooding that caused widespread damage to public and private infrastructure.

Project Overview

In June 2013, the Town of High River, Alberta, was severely impacted by catastrophic flooding that caused widespread damage to public and private infrastructure. In response, the Government of Alberta contracted Tervita Corporation to lead the remediation and recovery efforts. To support this urgent work, Tervita engaged the joint team of Silvacom Ltd. and MNC (Martin Newby Consulting Ltd.) to deliver critical geospatial support and develop a centralized digital solution.

Silvacom and MNC’s rapid GIS support, along with the development of an application for field-based property assessment, helped streamline coordination during a complex emergency response effort.

Challenge

In the wake of the disaster, Tervita required fast and accurate GIS support to assist the Government of Alberta, insurers, and municipal staff in compiling, organizing, and sharing location-based information across the Town of High River.

Flooded road partially submerged by a muddy river, with downed trees and boreal forest on both sides.

Key Limitations Included:

Managing spatial data for a wide range of public and private assets impacted by the floods.

Creating a system to support real-time field assessments and recovery coordination.

Enabling multiple stakeholders to access and contribute to shared geospatial data during an evolving crisis.

The Solution

The Silvacom / MNC team worked closely with Tervita to provide essential GIS services and develop a digital tool to support ground-level flood recovery.

Flooded road partially submerged by a muddy river, with downed trees and boreal forest on both sides.Flooded road partially submerged by a muddy river, with downed trees and boreal forest on both sides.

Key Steps in the Solution:

Rapid GIS Support and Data Management

Delivered immediate GIS services and data entry to support the operational needs of recovery teams.
Compiled and structured asset-related data for integration into a shared mapping platform.

Web-Based Application Development

Silvacom developed a centralized web application using Esri’s ArcGIS platform.
Enabled secure data collection, storage, and retrieval to track property-level information during assessments.

Mobile-Enabled Field Coordination

Deployed a spatial interface accessible via iPads for field crews.
Included mapping tools, form-based data collection, and coordination features for command center supervisors and door-to-door teams.

The Results

The final solution provided a centralized and interactive platform that supported both office-based supervisors and field crews in recovery coordination.

Three field workers in safety gear reviewing plans at a vehicle

Key benefits included:

Enabled map-based visualization of property recovery status and asset information.

Supported integration of operational layers and base maps to guide decision-making.

Facilitated structured workflows for damage assessment and property tracking.

Enhanced coordination between assessment teams, remediation crews, and agency stakeholders.

As solution providers during the emergency, Silvacom and MNC demonstrated the value of rapid GIS deployment for emergency response, enabling faster decision-making, improved resource coordination, and more effective communication in times of crisis.

Real-Time

FLOOD RESPONSE PLATFORM DEPLOYED

Mobile Field Data

COLLECTION FOR FASTER ASSESSMENTS

Live Mapping

FOR BETTER OPERATIONAL DECISIONS

About MNC

The Cadastral and Parcel Mapping Experts

MNC is a trusted leader in cadastral and parcel management with 25+ years of experience delivering GeoAI-ready datasets, modernizing parcel fabrics, and automating GIS workflows. As an Esri Gold and Cornerstone Partner with Parcel Management and State and Local Government Specialties, MNC provides scalable advanced GIS, ArcGIS Pro, FME automation, MicroStation, AutoCAD and cloud-ready geospatial systems that improve data quality and support government land administration modernization across Canada, the USA, and the Caribbean.

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