Three years ago, Truro was hit by two huge rainstorms of the scale that usually only strike once a century — and they came within two weeks of each other.

As spring approaches this year, the mountains of snow and ice will melt again, gushing into the low-lying Nova Scotia town. Many fear that could lead to more flooding.

"We're at extreme risk right now with spring melts," said Alexander Wilson, an expert on the risks facing Truro.

He helped lead the most detailed study of its kind in Atlantic Canada on how to deal with flooding in Truro. The ambitious study was released Thursday at a conference on coastal and inland flooding.

It examined 40 options to deal with flooding in the area, including allowing the river to expand by moving the dykes back and building the new ones higher.

Alexander Wilson, an expert on the risks facing Truro, helped lead the most detailed study of its kind ever undertaken in Atlantic Canada on how to deal with flooding in Truro. (CBC)

Other options include building pumping stations behind the dykes, new dams, and even a floodway channel.

"The most cost effective, overall — and that protects as much as possible the vital infrastructure needed for the communities that are at risk — is working with that dyke system and moving it," said Wilson.

Truro is more at risk than most communities. Its rivers are fed by the highest tides in the world and filled with sediment, leaving no place for the water to go. Climate change is likely to result in even higher water levels.

"What you find here is that this is a very local expression of a global problem. What you're facing here is exactly what we're talking about where communities face those consequences," said Robert Sandford, a member of the United Nations' Water of Life Initiative.

Thursday's conference offered plenty of reminders of the preparations individuals need to take to flood-proof their homes.

Cutting long-form census hampers research

Patricia Manuel, a Dalhousie University researcher, says the Harper government's decision to kill the long form census has made planning more difficult. She says less information is available on race, education and income level — data she needs to build a portrait of which population areas may be least able to adapt to climate change.

"Our data cannot be reliably compared to previous years to see if we are becoming more vulnerable or less vulnerable," she said.

"Where people are most vulnerable, that's where you want to direct your efforts first in a world of limited resources."

Federal funding is being used to pay for numerous studies underway in Nova Scotia on adapting to climate change.