Steinbach calls for disaster relief, organization feels the brunt of the flood

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This article was published 28/09/2024 (568 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In what has been termed as a once in a 130 year flood, Steinbach received more than six inches of rain Sept. 16 and 17, flooding many streets, homes, and businesses.

The ground became saturated as overland flooding hit all neighbourhoods. Open drainage channels, creeks, and ditches throughout the city were either at capacity or over capacity and spilling over their banks. The city’s gravity sewer system and facilities were fully functional and were operating at capacity during and until well after the storm event, according to a statement from the city. As of late last Tuesday evening, the city’s sewer system returned to normal operating levels.

In order for the city to receive disaster relief, residents, businesses, and not-for-profits have to claim more than $60,000 in damages combined. The city is encouraging people to apply for disaster relief after first contacting their private insurance companies. The amount the insurance company doesn’t cover can be claimed for disaster relief.

“The biggest thing people need to do right now is get their information sent in so that the province can get an accurate understanding of how many homes were flooded…We’re hoping that it will be deemed a disaster from the province and then there’ll be some financial assistance for those who had some insurable damages,” said corporate services manager Adam Thiessen.

One of the places hit hard by the flood was Steinbach and Area Animal Rescue Inc. The organization had just finished building its brick-and-mortar location on Keating Road when flood waters poured into its basement.

“It’s pretty crushing for us, actually, on a number of different levels,” said vice-president Graham Pollock. “It’s devastating in fact that we’ve ceased operations and we can’t help animals right now other than those we already have in our care.”

Pollock said the 10 animals that were in the building have been put into foster homes and the basement has been gutted to the waterline of the flood, which reached a depth of about three feet.

“The building is two months old. We just moved in and everything is new and we were just – if you pardon the pun – kind of getting our feet wet in operating the shelter, and what we needed in terms of volunteers, and how our shift works and this happens, and now we’re kind of back to square one…,” he said.

Everything stored in the basement was thrown away: blankets, dog and cat beds, carriers, crates, and food. Pollock said SAAR now has to get a new furnace, boiler, and HVAC system. While SAAR has insurance, its deductible is $25,000. Pollock said they will be able to pay the deductible through donations. He said he has to look into the disaster relief funding to see if it will cover anything SAAR’s insurance won’t.

It’ll be a month or more before SAAR opens its shelter.

City of Steinbach residents, businesses and not-for-profits who are interested in getting disaster relief should visit gov.mb.ca/emo/dfa/index.html. The province will use this information to determine if a financial assistance program will be declared for Steinbach.