HELPING OUT FLOOD VICTIMS
Dilkens welcomes visit from Ontario officials
Ontario government officials will visit Windsor next week to answer questions on applications for the Disaster Recovery Assistance program being made available to victims of last month’s flood.
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs oversees the program — in place to provide financial assistance to victims of natural disasters such as the flooding that occurred in the Windsor area on Aug. 28-29 when more than 200 millimetres of rain soaked the area.
Windsor received more than 6,400 complaints of flood damage from sewer backups or surface water flowing overland into basements, while hundreds of additional basements were flooded in Tecumseh, Lakeshore, LaSalle and Essex.
Ministry staff will hold two information sessions on Thursday at the Caboto Club. The first session is between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. The second session is 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
“As with any major event that results in activation of the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians program, the ministry wants to ensure those applying to the program have the information they need to determine eligibility and complete their application,” said Conrad Spezowka, spokesman for the Municipal Affairs Ministry.
“The ministry has held similar sessions in other areas in the province that have also been affected by natural disasters. We’ve learned these sessions help applicants submit more complete and accurate applications, which in turn helps speed up the review process.”
Mayor Drew Dilkens said Friday he “appreciates” the ministry sending staff down to talk about the disaster funding program and how residents can take advantage.
“But their attendance doesn’t change the issue that the program itself doesn’t cover a lot of folks who have suffered damage,” he said. “They need to look at the program and make changes on how it can better meet the needs of people affected by disaster. It leaves people behind.
“We had 6,400 flooded basements. The victims of sewer backups — too many of them are not covered by the program unless they are lower income. Many folks had their insurance cancelled after the flood last year. These people now are self-funded and on their own.”
The program should be available to people who can’t get insurance, Dilkens said.
Many local homeowners who made insurance claims a year ago following a similar rain event in which they suffered basement flooding have now learned they are not covered this time around when trying to make a second claim.
For every homeowner facing such a shock it really depends on their company and policy, said Pete Karageorgos, director of consumer and industry relations for the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
A renewal has likely occurred since the initial claim last year and wording in the policy may have been changed, he said.
“An insurance policy is a contract and at the end of the contract there may be (policy) changes in advance of the next one,” Karageorgos said.
“A company may have said after the prior claim: ‘We will give you the same coverage at the same level only if you install a backwater valve or sump pump.’ Or they may cap the coverage amount. There is a whole possibility of scenarios depending on the company.”
Some companies may cover water damage as a whole that includes broken water pipes or fixtures, while others may only cover an overland flooding situation, but not sewer backups, he said.
Insurance is a “competitive market situation,” and “shopping around” is the customer’s best option, Karageorgos said.
Insurance companies across Canada always study history and make changes accordingly, he said.
“They do monitor and look at the trends,” Karageorgos said. “Are there higher number of claims or lower claims? Windsor is not special from other municipalities. Companies make changes going forward, but consumers need to make sure they are taking steps to protect themselves, too.
“A kitchen fire might be once in a lifetime, but if you are having a kitchen fire every year, that is going to raise a company’s attention. ”
The Insurance Bureau of Canada handles questions at 1-844-2275422.
The deadline to submit applications for the Disaster Recovery Assistance program is January 5, 2018. For eligibility or information visit Ontario.ca/DisasterAssistance online or call 1-844-780-8925.