An environmental non-profit in Sackville has announced a free program that’s meant to offer peace of mind to area residents worried about how their homes will stand up to flooding conditions.

EOS Eco-Energy is offering the “home flood risk assessment program” for houses with basements, particularly in Memramcook, Tantramar and Strait Shores regions of southeast New Brunswick.

The program is meant to help homeowners identify how vulnerable their homes are to basement flooding in an age increasingly marked by climate chaos. There are also $100 rebates available for participants to help cover the cost of home improvements.

The organization is encouraging people to sign up before the next big rain or winter thaw.

“Neighborhoods weren’t developed back in the day thinking about so much rain and so much runoff,” said Amanda Marlin, executive director of EOS Eco-Energy, in an interview with CHMA.

Twenty per cent of homes across the country are at risk of flooding, according to the federal government.

And the risks are getting worse with the acceleration of climate change caused by human-generated greenhouse gas emissions.

Listen to the report that aired on CHMA on Thursday, January 19, 2023: