Barrhead Town victims of July flooding can seek financial help through a government-approved disaster recovery program.
Applications to the Alberta Emergency Management Agency program will be accepted until Jan. 10, 2013.
Registration forms are available online or at the Town of Barrhead office.
The program helps residents, small businesses and not-for-profit organizations recover from non-insurable damage caused by overland flooding and groundwater seepage from heavy rainfall between July 23 and 31.
Mayor Brian Schulz said he was delighted when Minister of Municipal Affairs Doug Griffiths told him that Town residents would be eligible for flooding relief funds.
“I was very appreciative of that and thanked him on behalf of our community,” he said.
“I am very pleased that the government has stepped up and responded as quickly as possible,” he added.
Schulz also thanked Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock MLA Maureen Kubinec for her efforts.
“I appreciate the job our MLA Maureen Kubinec is doing and thank her for her input which has helped speed up this process and help bring relief to her constituents.”
Chief Administration Officer Martin Taylor said the Town was acting as facilitators in the relief program.
Staff had been receiving training, he said, from AEMA personnel.
People applying for assistance should produce a Government issued photo ID; a list of damaged items; a letter from an insurance company confirming losses are uninsurable; and home owner property tax assessment, if available.
Taylor said once applications had been filed, an evaluator would make an assessment on each claim.
“Three people have already come into our offices to apply,” he said last Thursday.
Alberta Government has earmarked up to $58 million to offset costs of uninsurable losses from flooding after June and July storms.
For North Central Alberta – including Barrhead County, Whitecourt, Lac Ste. Anne and Woodlands – up to $5 million has been set aside for damage from July 23-31 rainfall.
Five other regional disaster recovery programs administered by AEMA have been approved for such places as Calgary, Edmonton, Spruce Grove and Devon.
The financial assistance figures are based on preliminary estimates only and may change after further assessments and final repairs take place.
Although the majority of the approved funding will cover repairs to public infrastructure and costs associated with emergency response and cleanup, the government says its priority is getting help to residents.
“The funding will go a long way to help the communities and Albertans who experienced uninsurable losses because of this severe weather,” said Minister Griffiths.
“Plans are already moving forward to establish registration centres for Albertans who may qualify for assistance.”
Schulz and Taylor said there had been no guarantee a disaster program would be available for the Town of Barrhead.
Although parts of the town were flooded, the municipality did not suffer the extent of damage seen in various parts of the County.
A Barrhead County recovery program has already been approved.
Applications are accepted until Jan. 10, 2013.
Forms can be picked up in person at the County office and are also available online at www.aema.alberta.ca.
