North Battleford is formally seeking disaster assistance from the province in the wake of flooding from a major storm this summer.
City council passed a resolution Monday to apply to the ministry of government relations to be designated an eligible assistance area under the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program, in connection to the Aug. 8 storm that hit the city.
According to a memo from Stewart Schafer, director of utilities, the Aug. 8 storm was a one-in-25 year event that produced 60 mm of rainfall in six-hour period during the early morning hours.
It was the second major deluge to hit North Battleford in a month; the city was also hit by a one-in-five storm event on July 21, which flooded several intersections.
City officials have been on the receiving end of calls from residents impacted by the Aug. 8 storm, with basements and yards receiving the brunt of the damage.
“City Hall received 30 calls the day after the storm from residents and property owners who were experiencing flooding,” said Mayor Ryan Bater.
The mayor said he personally spoke to many families who were experiencing flooding and damage.
“This is obviously very emotional for families, it’s a devastating thing to deal with,” said Bater. “If the province is able to determine these properties as eligible for this program, that’s a good thing.”
Among the criteria needed for the city to be eligible under PDAP: 20 or more residences must have been damaged by the storm; one claimant must have $5,000 or more in damage; the multiple eligible claims must exceed $25,000; and the residences’ insurance provider will not cover the damages caused by the storm event.
According to the PDAP Request for Designation form presented to council Monday, City Manager Jim Puffalt stated that it is assumed each property has had an average of $15,000 in damage. The estimated total loss to private property is listed as $450,000.
The next effort for the city will be to get word out to the public. After the request for designation is approved by the province, the plan is for the city to post information on their website about the process and what’s eligible or not eligible.
Mayor Bater said he hopes that will happen “very soon.”
City administration also plans to get in contact with the residents who had called them about the flooding and let them know about the PDAP application. They also plan to advertise and get the word out to others who might have been impacted.
