Athabascans seeking relief from damages caused by floodwaters July 24 have an opportunity to receive provincial funding.
Representatives from the province’s Disaster Recovery Program (DRP) set up a program application centre at the Athabasca town office Jan. 15.
Alberta Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) team lead Wendy Bryson said the centre works with applicants to get financial assistance under the DRP.
“They come in with a story to tell,” Bryson said. “What occurred July 24 for them in particular, what kind of damages they may have experienced.”
The funding came as a result of an application from the Town of Athabasca approved by town council Aug. 22, according to council minutes.
The application was for disaster relief funding due to flooding in July 2017 and was done specifically with residents of Hees Estates in mind.
That month in Athabasca, 180 millimetres of precipitation fell – the highest in the province for that time period – and five lots in Hees Estates experienced excessive slumping.
The province approved a disaster recovery program for Athabasca Nov. 15.
The funding available for an individual can range from very small to very large, Bryson said.
“Right from losing your furnace to having to have part of your home rebuilt,” Bryson said. “It just depends on each individual case. How much damage they had, why the damage occurred and how much their insurance company covered them.”
In terms of criteria for an application, Bryson said proof of damage July 24 is required.
“We would have to have proof that the damage that occurred to their residence was at that particular date – at that particular time in this particular location – and they weren’t already insured,” Bryson said.
Processing does not take long once applications are submitted, Bryson said.
“Anywhere from four to six weeks, people can see some funds coming in,” Bryson said.
For those applying who were unable to come to the Jan. 15 session, Bryson said they can print a form and apply online.
The deadline for applications under the DRP is Feb. 15, but Bryson said there is some flexibility in extenuating circumstances.
“If there’s some type of reason they weren’t able to send their application, let’s say there was an illness in the family or something, we’ll definitely take that into consideration,” Bryson said. “Very flexible.”
Visit www.aema.alberta.ca/disaster-recovery-programs for the DRP application form.
