St. Catharines Faces Emergency After Recent Flooding

The City of St. Catharines, Ont., has declared a state of emergency following two heavy rainstorms in under a week that led to widespread flooding, overwhelming city infrastructure and causing major damage to homes, businesses, and public property.

Mayor Mat Siscoe made the announcement on Monday, stating that this measure aims to bolster the city’s response and recovery efforts while facilitating requests for help from provincial and federal partners.

“Many residents are reliving the devastating experience of flooding for the second time in less than a week, and Sunday’s storm extended those impacts to even more neighbourhoods across St. Catharines,” Siscoe said in a statement.

“This declaration highlights the seriousness of what our community has faced and the necessity for continued support from our partners at all levels of government as we work together through recovery.”

A news release from the city noted that over 140 millimetres of rain fell across various parts of St. Catharines during storms on July 27 and 28, followed by another round on Aug. 2.

Officials indicated that rainfall significantly surpassed forecasts, leading to overwhelmed roads, stormwater systems, and sewer systems resulting in extensive flooding, shoreline erosion, and damage to municipal facilities.

Siscoe appeals for help from province and feds

On Sunday, Siscoe reached out via social media video asking both federal and provincial governments for disaster relief assistance for St. Catharines.

“So far we’ve been managing this alone. There has been no disaster relief assistance offered by either level of government,” he stated.

“We’ve gone through the usual channels; we’ve worked as hard as we can with the bureaucracy.. but still, the city has been left to fend [for] itself.”

A representative for Rob Flack, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing said his office is collaborating with the city to see if there are areas “where uninsured damage may be eligible for assistance under the [Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians] program.”

Michael Minzak mentioned that they also received a request from St. Catharines concerning flood-related issues which is currently being investigated by the Ministry of Emergency Preparedness and Response.

A spokesperson from Public Safety Canada stated they have not yet received any request from the province since they’re responsible for leading the response effort.

“We understand that the City of St. Catharines has requested additional recovery support from Ontario’s Province, and provincial authorities are coordinating with them to assess needs and organize available resources,” said Stephanie Nemeth.

“Our thoughts are with residents and communities in Niagara Region who have experienced impacts from recent flooding,” added Nemeth.

Emergency operations center activated

The city’s emergency operations center has remained active since last Tuesday to manage emergency responses, prioritize resources, and oversee recovery efforts.

City officials characterized this emergency declaration as a proactive step that will enable St. Catharines to maintain better coordination, access emergency resources faster if necessary, and react swiftly should more severe weather arise.

While weather conditions have started stabilizing somewhat, officials warned that grounds remain saturated after nearly a week of heavy rainfalls which could leave them vulnerable if another significant storm develops.

Siscoe mentioned that repeated flooding has taken a serious physical, emotional, and financial toll on residents.
Flooding at the Royal Canadian Legion branch in Niagara-on-the-Lake on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. (Coleman Molnar/CBC)

After Sunday’s storm passed through town, city crews continued addressing urgent service calls, assessing damaged infrastructure, and tackling priority health and safety concerns, the release stated.

Officials explained that intense rainfall combined with already saturated ground put extreme pressure on drainage systems throughout the city, leading to widespread overland flooding that entered homes and caused private property damage.

Residents are encouraged to keep an eye on the city’s website and social media channels for updates, recovery information, and available supports.

The city plans to keep working alongside Niagara Region, the province, and other agencies to coordinate recovery efforts and obtain additional help for impacted residents and businesses.

Systems overwhelmed in Niagara-on-the-Lake

In another update, Niagara-on-the-Lake Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa reported his town received over 160 mm of rain in some areas overnight on July 27.

Zalepa noted on Sunday that heavy rains continued throughout the day.

“It came down heavily again later in evening with an extra 100 mm falling within just hours between 8 p. m. and midnight,” Zalepa told on Monday.

“Our systems… our ditches and culverts were built to handle only so much rain. This amount was way beyond their capacity.”

Niagara-on-the-Lake Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa speaks with on Monday August 3rd ,2024 while Deputy Lord Mayor Erwin Wiens looks on (John Sandeman/CBC)

Zalepa shared how excessive rain resulted in “water backing up into vineyards as well as orchards; affecting tender fruit crops across many farms.”, “But we’ve also seen houses affected too; water seeped through doors and windows – literally- reaching basements.”

Zalepa mentions how there’s been water pooling up inside “our vineyards , orchards , tender fruit crops , along with several local farms.”(John Sandeman/CBC)

An unprecedented rainfall event strikes Town of Lincoln

The Town of Lincoln declared its own state of emergency following what it described as “historic” flooding events.

A statement released by town officials asserts that this decision comes after experiencing “an extraordinary rainfall event” overwhelming roads , stormwater management infrastructures , residences , commercial properties , along with municipal services.

They added that power outages worsened matters affecting households , businesses , along with essential municipal infrastructures.

“Our community faces an exceptional challenge,” remarked Mayor Sandra Easton.

“We’ve witnessed firsthand how destructive floods impact families , businesses , farms along with critical infrastructures. Declaring State Of Emergency guarantees we’ll take every measure possible needed protecting our community while coordinating responses & advocating required support needed helping Lincoln recover.”

According To Their Statement Released-declaring states reflects severity surrounding current crisis plus strengthens their ability coordinating available resources implementing necessary measures & supporting requests pertaining assistance requested at provincial levels emphasizing significance regarding impacts upon local populace.

“The Town Of Lincoln extends heartfelt appreciation towards first responders municipalities staff utility crews companies citizens demonstrating resilience patience cooperation during challenging times like these.” – Officials concluded remarks made earlier today confirming ongoing commitment rebuilding initiatives moving forward together unitedly!

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