City of Maple Ridge is reminding residents that disaster financial assistance is available for the October 2024 floods.
The assistance is available through the provincial government for uninsurable losses for individuals, small businesses, farms, and charitable organizations.
Those eligible to apply must live in the City of Maple Ridge and experienced overland flooding sometime in between Oct. 18 and Oct. 20, 2024.
Financial assistance is meant to compensate residents for sudden, unexpected, and uninsurable losses including: building repairs, replacement of essential personal effects, eligible equipment and inventory, clean up, and debris removal.
Home owners and residential tenants must occupy the property as a principal residence as seasonal or recreational properties are not eligible.
Landlords must apply and qualify as a small business owner.
Any charitable organizations must provide a benefit or service to the community and must be registered under the provincial Societies Act.
Small business owners must be managed by the owner on a day-to-day basis and have at least $10,000 per year in revenue from the business, and gross revenues less than $2 million per year, and employ fewer than 50 employees at one time.
And farm owners must be identified as a developing or established agricultural operation and be owned and operated by a person whose full-time employment is a farmer and by which they make the majority of their income.
If a farm operation is incorporated, the small business eligibility criteria applies.
The deadline to apply for assistance is Wednesday, May 14.
To apply or for more information go to: gov.bc.ca/disasterfinancialassistance or call 1-888-257-4777.
Meanwhile, the City of Maple Ridge said crews responded to heavy rainfall at the beginning of the week including the inspection of infrastructure, clearing debris and monitoring river levels.
Although Environment Canada expects the rain to clear up by Tuesday afternoon, March 25, it will be back again on Wednesday, March 26, with a risk of a thunderstorm in the afternoon. Showers are expected to continue into Thursday and Friday.
The city is warning residents to watch for water pooling, slippery roads, and reduced visibility, and to report flooding or blocked drains to: MapleRidge.ca/Report, or by calling 604-463-9581.
