Flood recovery in Niagara region continues as neighbourhoods see humanitarian aid

Flood recovery continues in the Niagara Region as the city of St. Catharines and the Town of Lincoln remain under states of emergency.

Damages are being assessed by the province to determine if more funding will be made available.

The province says it is currently evaluating whether Niagara qualifies for their Disaster Recovery Program, which would relieve affected residents of clean up and repair costs.

St. Catharines residents are scared it’s going to happen again.

“I am hoping for some assistance, because $30,000 isn’t going to do it,” said William Mathews, a St. Catharines resident and flood victim.

WATCH MORE: St. Catharines, Lincoln remain under states of emergency as flood recovery continues

That is the amount Mathews got from his insurance company payout.

The restoration work began on his home, but it’s now on pause after the second downpour and the damage that came along with it set him back.

“We’d like to take some time as well, because we’re nervous,” said Mathews. “We’re nervous about any more — like, we’re hearing that it’s supposed to be thunderstorms this weekend and we’re already a little paranoid that it could happen again.”

“We’re seeing this across the country,” said Mischa Kaplan, the CEO of Team Rubicon Canada. “It’s very difficult, I think, for NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) like ourselves, or for governments to keep up and anticipate what these things are going to be, because these climate-driven emergencies are changing so quickly.”

Kaplan recognizes the challenges in response time to what he calls “climate-driven emergencies,” referring to St. Catharines and Lincoln.

WATCH MORE: St. Catharines residents call for provincial help after disastrous flooding

Part of the challenge, he says, is how unique this is to the region.

“We responded, for example, to the wildfires in Conception Bay in Newfoundland this time last year,” said Kaplan. “Again, very much like the situation in St Catherines right now, that was an entirely new thing for that region.”

Team Rubicon Canada, who helps communities respond and recover from disasters and crises, have teams conducting site surveys both Thursday and Friday this week in St. Catharines and Lincoln, ahead of deploying full resources to the region.

“Our Vulnerable Assistance Registry is growing significantly, we have residents that still need help getting contaminated furniture and items out of their basements,” said Mayor of St. Catharines Mat Siscoe. “That’s our priority right now, is to get to those vulnerable residents.”

READ MORE: Niagara police warn residents about flood restoration scams

Siscoe is seeing support from across the city, including local businesses.

Here at Home Depot, on YMCA Drive in St. Catharines, volunteers are assembling disaster relief kits that will be donated to community organizations and local charity partners.

“We’re seeing lots of different businesses that are trying to help the community get back on its feet, aiding the recovery efforts,” said Siscoe.

CHCH News also heard from the province, who indicated that their field officers are on the ground, working with the Niagara region to provide advice and assistance.

No timeline was provided for assessments to be completed and additional funding made available.

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