Disaster relief kicks in for 2016 Grande Prairie flood victims

Millions in disaster relief funding will become available this week for people hit by severe flooding in Grande Prairie a year and a half ago.

A summer storm drowned parts of the citywith rain on Aug. 2, 2016.

• 2016:Severe flooding hits Grande Prairie after summer storm blasts region

As water creptup the sides of buildings and mired cars in the street, the city issued an emergency alert and urged people to stay away from flooded areas.

Emergency crews fielded dozens of calls for help.

'Awful as can be'

Ellyn Otterson, 77, remembers the storm brewing over her home.

"I saw this huge black cloud coming and then it just seemed to stop overhead and I thought, 'I'm in for it,' " Ottersonsaid. "It was just scary and black and awful as can be.

"The wind was howling and the rain was being blown sideways."

Water began to rush into herbasement crawl space, rising within centimetres of thekitchen floor.

Otterson, a part-time musicteacher, posted a plea for help to Facebook. One of her students'parents rushed to pump water from under the house.

The flood destroyedOtterson's foundation, furnace and water heater.

"The toll it took on me emotionally I really nearly checked out," shesaid. "I remember thinking, 'How much longer is this going to go on? I can't take it anymore.'

"I was just sick over what I was going to have to spend."

Repairing her basement's foundation and replacing the furnace and water heatercost almost $15,000,Ottersonsaid.

$4.8-million disaster relief fund

Alberta's governmentapproved $4.8 million in disaster relief funding for Grande Prairie, to help those struggling to bounce back.

Ottersonsaid she plans to apply this weekendso she can repay friends and relativeswho chipped in for repairs.

"It would be nice to pay some of that back because you shouldn't have to rely on people to help," she said. "But there was nothing else to do."

The flood damaged approximately 400 homes and 200 small businesses in Grande Prairie, according toLeanneStroh, a spokesperson for Alberta Municipal Affairs.

The ministry works with municipalities to manage emergencies includingwildfires and flooding.

"The provincial Disaster Recovery Program provides financial assistance for municipalities and their citizens who incur uninsurable loss and damage as a result of an extraordinary disaster event,"Strohwrote in an email toCBCNews on Monday.

"Eligibility is limited to costs where insurance was not readily or reasonably available at the time of the event."

Aging infrastructure

A city can apply for flood funding if rainfall causeswidespread damage and is considered a one-in-25 year event.

"We're really thankful to the province for recognizing the hardships some of our business owners and home owners have had,"said Coun. Dylan Bressey, one of eight councillors in the city.

The flood hit Grande Prairie at a vulnerable time, Bressey said.

"No news to anyone, we've had challenging economic times over the last few years," he said."To have this flood hit at the same time really created challenges for some residents [and]for a lot of businesses."

The city has since launched a downtown rehabilitation project toreplace water and sewage systems under its streets,includingnarrow clay drainage pipes installed in the1930s.

"Part of the problem was theaginginfrastructure under the roads just wasn't up to getting rid of the rainwater," Bressey said. "That's actually the motivation behind our downtown rehabilitation."

People living in Grande Prairiecan apply for funding in-person on Jan. 11, 12 and 13 at the Grande Prairie municipal offices.

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