After an overland flood advisory for the Westlock area was lifted in the early hours of Aug. 23, residents of the Town of Westlock set about recovering from the worst local flood on record since the 1970s.
Nearly 110 millimetres of rainfall accumulated throughout the 24-hour storm, flooding an estimated 20 to 30 per cent of homes in the Westlock area.
With many residents still recovering from the storm, CAO Dean Krause said anyone suffering from flood damage should contact the town to register damages and help coordinate clean up.
“For residents, we’re trying to assist them with recovering their own personal and private property, assessing the damage to the town infrastructure and costs,” Krause said.
“To be thorough, an event like this is never minor.”
Public facilities suffered some damage, such as fresh water flooding in the pool and damaged tiles, but nearly all of it will be repaired without insurance to avoid paying a deductible, he added.
The regional landfill was closed Aug. 23, but has since been reopened. Residents also had access to free waste disposal from bins at the Rotary Spirit Centre until Monday.
Though an official tally of residential damage is still unknown, local insurance companies estimate that between 20-30 per cent of homes in town were flooded or damaged as a result of the storm, but the real figure could climb even higher as the recovery continues.
Those with uninsurable damage should be sure to contact the town to join in on its application to the province’s disaster recovery program, Krause added.
Residents can access the simple, one-page disaster relief form by visiting the town’s website or dropping by in-person at the town office on 106 Street.
Whether homeowners possess flood insurance or not, affected residents should still be taking similar steps for flood recovery, such as taking pictures of destroyed property and documenting damage, said director of member relations with the Insurance Brokers Association of Alberta Janis Losie.
“Everyone should be calling their broker to find out what type of coverage they have. Lots of brokers have made overland flooding provisions in the last couple of years,” Losie said.
“Most importantly, people need to get their basements fully drained and hang onto their receipts so they can present them to insurers. Photograph things that need to be thrown out.
“In the case of tenants, landlords should handle a lot of those things. Certainly having a contractor come out to help you with some of that can be helpful.”
The last time Westlock experienced severe flooding was in June of 1971, when two hours of heavy rain submerged areas around Southview and Eastglen. In that incident around 50 homes were damaged.
When it comes to flood damage, storms of nearly any significant scale or scope can result in damage to homes, Losie added.
“Anytime you have a flood of this nature, it’s devastating. It may be smaller numbers, but it’s no less catastrophic to the people in that situation,” Losie said.
