City of Ottawa officials are calling on the province to expand the coverage area for disaster assistance after the Canada Day flash floods.
Ravaging thunderstorms tore through the nation’s capital on July 1, dumping up to 167 millimetres of rain and flooding thousands of properties.
Last week, the province launched DRAO, a disaster relief program which is designed to help homeowners in designated areas restore their damaged property.
It left out some flooded neighbourhoods, with Centrepointe, Crystal Beach and Parkwood Hills all outside the coverage area.
During an update on the ongoing flood response, Ottawa paramedic Chief Pierre Poirier said when the city gave the map to the province, they didn’t understand “the full scope” of the storm, leaving some areas without coverage.
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe says he’s written to the province to review the criteria for DRAO to be more lenient, noting that payments from the program have historically been small compared to insurance payments.
“I have been advocating to the province from the beginning to create a wider area and not to make a distinction between the different ways people have been affected by this one major disaster,” he said.
While DRAO covers overland flooding, it generally doesn’t cover sewer backups, except for low-income people.
Michael Minzak, a spokesperson for Ontario’s minister of municipal affairs and housing, told CBC News in a statement Friday that the activation area was established using information provided by the city.
He didn’t comment on whether the ministry intends to expand eligiblity in Ottawa.
Poirier says roughly 3.8 million kilograms of garbage have now been removed.
“Our focus is no longer on the emergency response itself but the recovery,” he said.
While areas around Nepean received the most rainfall, infrastructure services director Carina Duclos said staff will review if neighborhood-specific infrastructure contributed to the flooding across certain parts of Ottawa.
“The city of Ottawa was built in different pieces so there is definitely a different level of infrastructure in different neighborhoods, combined with a storm that was very unique.”
Most compassionate grant applications approved
Sutcliffe encouraged flood victims to access resources including a $1,000 compassionate rent grant for owners and tenants flooded because of a “sewer surcharge event.”
The city said it’s received more than 1,600 applications and more than half have been approved.
On Thursday, the city announced that residents who were significantly impacted by the flash flooding can apply for property tax relief.
The Red Cross said 300 households have reached out for support and the charity expects that number to double.
“The recovery process is going to be long and there [are] many steps,” said Conrad Sauvé, President and CEO of the Canadian Red Cross.
He said some of the people the Red Cross is helping are struggling to navigate their insurance coverage.
“In many cases they thought they were fully covered and are now learning otherwise,” he said. “They’re grappling with uncertainty over how to pursue their claims, or whether they qualify for provincial programs”
Part of the city’s relief plan with the Red Cross, which is the lead non-governmental organization for flood recovery, includes public information sessions to share resources and safety tips with flood victims.
Five upcoming sessions are happening at Ben Franklin Place in Nepean and the John G. Mlacak Centre in Kanata between July 24 and 30.