Burlington to ask province for flood relief

Burlington is holding a special council meeting Thursday to ask the province for funding to help victims of last week’s flood. Today, volunteers are collecting information on how much money people need to recover from the damage.

The city has teamed up with aid agencies to help it organize and reach out to people and really figure out how much help is needed for those who don’t have adequate insurance.

Today, Red Cross volunteers started going door to door and they likely won’t finish until the weekend. They have the list of 1,800 homes that reported flooding. Halton region workers have visited most of those as well — but they’re also visiting other homes in the same area to make sure there are no others that have gone unreported, or any vulnerable people who need help. They’re asking about damage estimates & insurance coverage; whether people have health concerns, or need financial help, that sort of thing.

South Burlington, mostly around Walkers Line between New and Fairview Streets, was devastated August fourth, when two months worth of rain fell in a matter of hours, dropping record amounts of water on Burlington and overwhelming the sewage system. Homeowners are still trying to figure out insurance claims while they rip out entire basements and even main floor areas contaminated by sewage backflow.

Peter Hodgson is with the Red Cross: “We’ve heard stories about elderly people who have flooded basements and don’t know what to do with it. They don’t have any immediate resources, they’re kinda stuck. Could be an unhealthy situation. The city and the region share our concerns. we’re concerned people are really suffering. We’re gathering the info so that whatever help can be found, will be found.”

Halton Region is now offering a one-time Basement Flood Prevention Subsidy, up to a maximum of $2,725.00, to assist residents who have a history of basement floods caused by a backup or surcharge of the sanitary sewer system or residents who have not experienced flooding but would like to correct improper storm water connections and install a backwater valve.

To find out how to volunteer with Samaritan’s Purse or donate to the United Way fund set up for this flood relief, just click on the links indicated.

And here is the City of Burlington website with more information about the cleanup and additional garbage pickups.

The Burlington firefighters association is managing volunteers & will be out helping people this weekend