Community Call Scheduled for Flooding Updates in St. Catharines

The City of St. Catharines, Ont., is hosting a telephone town hall on Tuesday to update residents on the ongoing response to recent storms that flooded thousands of homes.

City officials will take part in the hour-long call set for 7 p. m. Households in St. Catharines are invited to join the live discussion.

The city stated that staff will provide details about the city’s response and recovery efforts following the recent storms.

“We know residents continue to have questions as our community works through flood recovery,” said St. Catharines mayor Mat Siscoe, whose own home flooded twice recently.

“A telephone town hall gives us a simple way to connect with thousands of residents at once, share the latest information on our response and recovery efforts, and, just as importantly, give people an opportunity to ask questions and hear directly from the city,” he said in a release.

Months worth of rain in hours

When two “100-year rain storms” hit St. Catharines in late July and early August, the ground was already saturated from a storm earlier in July, meaning it couldn’t soak up more rainfall, according to the city.

In total, the three storms released over 300 millimeters of rain, overwhelming the city’s stormwater system. Sewers backed up, flooding thousands of basements, and video captured cars floating down inundated streets.

The average July rainfall for St. Catharines is 74.2 millimeters, Geoff Coulson, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, told .

The recent severe weather involved several storms hitting back-to-back, he mentioned-a phenomenon referred to as training echoes.

This term describes a specific weather pattern where repeated areas of thunderstorms or heavy rain persistently move over the same location within a short timeframe, Coulson explained. The name comes from echoes seen on weather radar.

After the flooding occurred, Mayor Siscoe declared a state of emergency.

Officials say faulty infrastructure was not responsible for the flooding. The city and Niagara’s regional government have stated that inspections showed no blockages or significant infrastructure issues were present.

Flooding also impacted nearby areas such as Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Falls and Lincoln town which also declared states of emergency.

A mountain of sewage spoiled household materials are piled up outside of a St. Catharines home that was flooded twice after back-to-back storms. (Paul Forsyth/CBC)

Siscoe expressed his desire for a long-term plan to protect his city from future extreme rainfall events. On Aug. 10 he mentioned he had directed staff to report back with recommendations.

“While emergency response and recovery remain our immediate priority, we also have a responsibility to ensure our community is better prepared for the future,” he said.

The city has created an online form for residents to sign up for calls, submit questions or comments or opt-out from calls altogether. Monday noon is when submissions close.

The city has made information regarding its flood response and recovery efforts available online.


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