North Battleford homeowners will be able to apply for provincial relief funding after overland flooding hit the City.
Over the past week, over 155 millimetres of rain fell in the Battlefords area, breaking a rainfall record that has been in place since 1965. This has lead to overland flooding to homes and businesses across North Battleford. As a result, the city applied to be part of the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program during a Special Council meeting last Thursday, which the Provincial Government approved the next day.
Mayor Ryan Bater says PDAP funding will help provide coverage for any damages not covered by a homeowner’s existing private insurance.
“We saw a lot of properties in our area see damage. A lot of it was basements, some roofs leaking, that sort of thing. Some of that is not insurable by traditional home insurance, especially overland flooding. So that’s why the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program exists.”
Homeowners can begin applying for the PDAP program immediately. Applications must be made within six months of the damages and received by the province before January 8th,2021. From there, work needs to be done before July 8th. Bater adds that people should check their existing coverage before applying for the program.
“First and foremost, property owners ought to be having conversations with their own insurance providers. This is not meant to double up on that, so if you’re already covered by insurance, then the PDAP won’t apply to you.”
An application form, as well as next steps under PDAP, can be found on the City of North Battleford’s website.