There’s a growing sense of frustration in St. Catharines as residents urge Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government for assistance in dealing with what many are calling a flooding disaster.
This comes after heavy rains struck the city earlier this week.
In various areas of St. Catharines, people are busy clearing out basements that were flooded due to rain and backed up sewers, resulting in heaps of debris.
“It’s a mess, it’s a mess,” said both Angelo Largoza and William Matthews.
“And now I’m a little paranoid it’s going to rain on the weekend,” added Matthews.
Earlier this week, CHCH News visited Largoza and Matthews’ basement right after the rainfall ended.
WATCH MORE: Significant weather event declared in St. Catharines after regional flooding, power outages
By Friday, they had managed to clean up their basement completely, but unfortunately much of it still needs to be discarded due to contamination from flood water.
“It’s still stinky and it has to be removed,” explained Matthews.
The stress is mounting as they face cleanup and replacement costs that could exceed the $30,000 settlement they’ll receive from insurance.
“This happened, it’s just we really don’t want to go through this any more,” Largoza expressed.
Four days have passed since the flooding occurred and residents are eager for resolution.
Caroline Mc Intyre also faced flooding in her basement, which filled with two feet of water.
She was advised not to start cleaning until an insurance assessment is done; however, insurance companies are currently overwhelmed with claims.
“I’m still waiting for help, nobody has arrived, nobody has come to assess,” said Mc Intyre. “Things are starting to – it smells down here, I’m worried about mold.”
WATCH MORE: Residents press for city action as flooding in Flamborough neighbourhood worsens
“People are trying to recover – their homes were filled; they’ve lost precious stuff within their homes and right now they’re trying to clean up,” stated St. Catharines MPP Jennie Stevens. “It’s devastating for the people of St. Catharines to see what they have to do.”
Stevens believes the provincial government should provide disaster relief funding based on individual needs, similar to what was offered for some flood victims in Ottawa this summer.
No official count has been given regarding how many houses and basements were affected by the flooding in St. Catharines; however, Stevens mentioned there were nearly 600 calls made to the city’s emergency line.
“And it’s up to the province to definitely please step up and please declare the City of St Catharines that this was a natural disaster,” Stevens urged. “These people have tried to clean up and it’s devastating when you lose all your personal belongings.”
The provincial government informed CHCH News that it’s assessing whether floods from creeks or rivers caused uninsured damage eligible for disaster assistance.
No mention has been made regarding flooding from backed-up sewers.
The city announced on Friday that they’re establishing a registry for residents who need help removing water and waste from their homes.
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