Port Elgin residents to get flood assistance

Local residents in the Port Elgin area who had damage sustained to their homes during the storm surge and flood in early January will be eligible to receive emergency financial assistance through a provincial government EMO program.

Mayor Judy Scott said Friday she had been notified of the provincial government's decision to provide flood relief for area residents on Thursday by Minister of Public Safety John Foran.

"Mr. Foran told me there will be assistance for the people of the Port Elgin who experienced damage due to the flooding," said Scott.

"Our EMO, with the assistance of the fire department, had canvassed the village and came up with an estimate of at least $750,000 in damages caused by the flood but that number will likely increase as people work out their actual losses and apply for disaster relief funds."

The provincial government's Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA) program helps people and communities get back on their feet after a disaster, covering damages and losses that may affect the health or safety of both individuals and communities. Foran announced on Friday in the New Brunswick legislature that there will be financial relief for flood victims in the Port Elgin area.

"The increase in water levels from the storm caused coastal flooding and high waves, damaging many homes and businesses. The highest concentration of damages occurred in the municipality of Port Elgin," Foran said in his address.

The minister explained that the recovery program consists of health and safety inspections and disaster financial assistance.

"The inspections help to determine if there are any outstanding issues that could affect the health and safety of residents, and the financial assistance program for eligible applicants will help to cover the cost of necessary repairs," he said, adding that he has contacted the federal government to seek funding to assist with the program.

Through the NB-DFA program, home and business owners affected by the flood must register their damages through Service New Brunswick, either by telephone at 1-888-298-8555, or online at http://www.snb.ca/emo.

Once registered, applicants will be provided with an information package and the documentation necessary to initiate a claim for disaster financial assistance. Claims are subject to a deductible of $1,000 for individual homeowners and $5,000 for small businesses with the deductible automatically waived for social services clients. The deadline for financial claims is April 1, 2010.

Foran noted that those who are in immediate financial need may apply for an advance payment of up to $4,000, adding that the program is designed for basic needs only, therefore does not cover recreational properties such as cottages, camps, trailers or recreational vehicles.

The DFA will help cover the costs of basic need items such as repairs to structural damage to homes and small businesses as well as the cost of replacement for appliances that could not be removed from the flood zone such as fridge, stove, washer and dryer. DFA funds will also assist with clean-up costs, replacement of lost food, driveway repair (not including paving) and drywall replacement.

For more information, contact the NB-EMO Disaster Financial Assistance Office toll-free at 1-800-561-4034.