Mud Lake flood victims may not be eligible for federal funding

It's been nearly threemonths since the flood in Mud Lake, and residents say they don't feel any closer to knowing how much the damages to their property will cost.

As well, they say the provincial government has informed residents that they wont reach the threshold for federal disaster relief funding.

"Does that mean that they have our assessments and they're trying to find out where they're going to get the money?" Melissa Best, chair of the Mud Lake improvement committee, told CBC.

"Do they have the assessments and they don't know how to tell us they have no money?Like, we don't know, we really don't know."

• Premier tours Mud Lake flood damage, vows 'to get to the bottom of this'

I honestly didn't think we'd be threemonths in and no further ahead.- Melissa Best

To meet the threshold for federal funding, damages have to reach around the $1.5-million mark.

Best says she was told by assistant deputy minister for municipal affairs and environment Dana Spurrellat a meeting in mid-Julyabout falling short of the federal threshold. Lake Melville MHA Perry Trimpertold her the same thing last Thursday.

"Given that the total amount of claims was lower than the federal threshold, we (the province) now have to evaluate," Trimperwrote to Best.

Waiting for assessments

Bestsaid she was told damage assessments were supposed to take two to three weeks to be completed, but that deadline has long since passed. He said there are eight families still displaced from the floods, and people need to make decisions about rebuilding or relocatingas soon as possible.

"They were told to have their assessment before theystart doing anything to it. How can they start if they don't have their assessment?" Best said.

"I honestly didn't think we'd be threemonths in and no further ahead."

In an emailed statementto the CBC, theprovincial government said it's continuing to process the claims associated with the event and that it is committed to helping the residents affected by the flooding, including by way of "disaster financial assistance."

Trimperindicated he would like to speak on the subject but needs more information from the department before answering any questions.