Flood impact in Burlington mounts as more damage reported

The impact of the July floods in Burlington continues to mount.

The latest data shows that 1,407 Burlington homeowners have now reported damage caused by the heavy rain and resulting floods that occurred July 15 and 16.

Those numbers flow from 1,672 calls to the Halton Region hotline to report damage. So far, 90 per cent of the homes reported to have had damage have received an inspection by officials in the Public Works department.

Further, Halton reports that 154 tonnes of extra garbage have been collected as residents continue to clean up and throw out damaged furniture and other property.

“I think what happened to so many of us is really starting to sink in,” said Rico Turner who had extensive flood damage. “The first couple of days it was like, ‘okay, we can deal with this,” but now, after a month has passed, you realize how much of a toll it has taken on your life.”

Turner, who was renting a basement apartment in a home, said the homeowners are still waiting to find out if they qualify for the grant money that is being made available from either Halton or the City of Burlington. In the meantime, he said, they are dealing with their insurance company.

While a damaged couch and bed can be replaced, Turner said he lost too many “irreplaceable” items due to the water damage and that is something he is having a hard time coping with.

Lost, he said, were family photos, documents and a small yet treasured collection of sports cards.

He said coming to terms with lost personal treasures has come at a cost greater than any monetary value of the items.

“You never really think that water can cause so much destruction,” he continued, “but it’s just as bad as a fire…it’s damaged and you can’t do anything with it except throw it away.”

According to Halton, Burlington residents who were the hardest hit by the flood are those living in Ward 3 and in communities known as Mountain Gardens, Clarksdale, Tyandaga, Palmer and Glenwood Park.

In his recent newsletter, Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman said this year’s flooding was different from that of 2014 when 180 mm fell over six hours.

“On July 15 2024 we experienced between 50 and 80 mm in the course of about an hour. It was much more intense than 2014,” he pointed out.

Sharman said since the 2014 floods, over $100 million has been spent locally to upgrade and and repair local water systems.

He said the remediation done since 2014  appears to have worked in Ward 5, the area that was hit the hardest 10 years ago.

“For each home that flooded in 2024, it appears that there are specific factors affecting each home that city and region staff will examine and come up with further recommendations on how to prepare for future intense storms,” he added.

Halton Region has offered a $1,000 grant to those affected by the flood. To qualify, Public Works staff will investigate to determine if the water problem occurred because of municipal failures or issues.

If a homeowner doesn’t qualify for the regional grant, the City of Burlington is offering $1,000 to residents with confirmed flooding.

To be eligible for either grant the flood damage must be reported by calling Halton Region at 311.

Operators of 407 ETR (Express Toll Route) have also given $2,000 to residents on Cavendish Drive who experienced flooding due to drainage failures on the 407.

The City of Burlington is also promising to overhaul the way it responds to emergencies.

Rosa Cannatt, who suffered minor damage to her home, said the problems that resulted from the heavy rains should serve as a wake-up call to the City of Burlington, Halton Region, Conservation Halton and the Ontario government.

She said the type of flooding was supposed to happen once every 100 years but that now has to be re-evaluated.

“Look what has happened,” she said. “It happened in 2014 and now 2024…that’s just 10 years apart. That 100 year storm scenario has gone out the window. They have to rethink this and come up with a better plan. We can’t control the weather but we can control how we respond to it.”