July 2026 Flooding Response and Recovery

- Jul 30, 2026

News

Vulnerable Assistance Registry Application

The City of St. Catharines recognizes the significant impacts the recent extreme rainfalls has had on residents, families and businesses across our community. The City is providing assistance to eligible residents who require support removing water and waste from their homes.

Complete the form below if you've been affected by flooding and need help. If you need assistance completing this form call Citizens First at 905.688.5600.

Complete the form

Community-Based Mental Health Supports

ATTCH Niagara

Offers flood-specific trauma and stabilization supports, including 1 to 2 complimentary stabilization sessions for those in acute need, along with free online trauma resources.

Learn more about ATTCH Niagara

Pathstone Mental Health

offers child, youth and family mental health supports, including no-cost walk-in counselling and direct intake options.

Link to services: Visit Pathstone Mental Health

Learn more about Pathstone Mental Health

Updates

Sunday, August 9

Waste Removal

Large bins will be available at the Seymour-Hannah Sports and Entertainment Centre and Bill Burgoyne Arena Monday, August 10 to Saturday, August 15 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for St. Catharines residents who need to dispose of flood-related garbage. Proof of residency will be required.

Household hazardous waste is not accepted at the City's large bins. Learn more about drop off locations for household hazardous waste at permanent depots year round from the Niagara Region.

Niagara Region's enhanced city-wide waste collection continues next week

Curbside garbage limits are lifted for flood-related waste until August 14 on your regular collection day. Garbage can be placed at the curb from August 10-14, even if it's not your regular garbage collection week.

Residents are not required to book flood-waste related large items for curbside collection. There is no limit to the number of large items you can set out curbside on your scheduled collection day.

Help keep Niagara Region's waste collection workers safe: use extra care when disposing of flood-waste that may contain nails, screws, broken glass, sharp edges or other hazards.

Reminder: enhanced garbage collection is limited to flood-related waste. There's a lot to pick up and this will help crews move through neighbourhoods more quickly.

Tipping fees are waived at Humberstone Landfill and Bridge Street Waste and Recycling Drop-off Depot until Aug. 15 (one pickup truck or trailer is the maximum load)

Learn more about the Niagara Region's temporary waste services due to flooding webpage.

Friday, August 7

More rain in the forecast

We continue to closely monitor weather conditions and are taking proactive measures to address forecasted rainfall. Our crews have been out across the city cleaning out ditching and clearing catch basin grates, inspecting and repairing damaged culverts and generally checking that everything can drain.

Like everyone, we are watching the forecast and urge everyone to continue to monitor weather conditions. We'll be doing the same and will post updates as needed.

Team Rubicon

Ontario Corps partner Team Rubicon Canada has landed in St. Catharines to support recovery efforts following heavy rainfall that caused widespread flooding across the community.

Beginning Sunday, August 9 Team Rubicon Canada volunteers, know as Greyshirts, will deploy to conduct debris removal as well as flood damaged items, flooring and drywall where necessary to aid in the cleaning process, answering a request for assistance through Ontario Corp to support and assist residents and homeowners through the difficult process of recovery.

Volunteers

Residents who wish to be part of the volunteer effort can learn more and register through Ontario Corp at www.corps.ontario.ca.

Waste Removal

Large bins are available at the St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre and Bill Burgoyne Arena Saturday, August 7 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for St. Catharines residents who need to dispose of flood-related garbage. Proof of residency will be required.

Household hazardous waste is not accepted at the City's large bins. Learn more about drop off locations for household hazardous waste at permanent depots year round from the Niagara Region.

The large bins will be available August 10-15 at select City facilities from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. We'll post location information when available.

Niagara Region's enhanced city-wide waste collection continues next week

Curbside garbage limits are lifted for flood-related waste until August 14 on your regular collection day. Garbage can be placed at the curb from Augus 10-14, even if it's not your regular garbage collection week.

Residents are not required to book flood-waste related large items for curbside collection. There is no limit to the number of large items you can set out curbside on your scheduled collection day.
Tipping fees are waived at Humberstone Landfill and Bridge Street Waste and Recycling Drop-off Depot until Aug. 15 (one pickup truck or trailer is the maximum load)

Learn more about the Niagara Region's temporary waste services due to flooding webpage.

Sinkholes and erosion

The City continues to respond to infrastructure impacts, including sinkholes, erosion concerns, trail damage, roadway issues, and other storm-related repairs.

If you see dips, soft spots, washouts or other issues on a City roads and sidewalk or in City parks and other public spaces report it to us right away: Call 905.688.5600 or use our online Report an Issue form.

Stay up-to-date on road closures, construction and maintenance with our traffic notices webpage

Thursday, August 6

Team Rubicon

The City of St. Catharines appreciates the Province of Ontario's assistance with recovery for our community, including sending volunteers from Team Rubicon and contributing hundreds of cleaning kits to support our flood-impacted residents through Ontario Corps.

We are in collaborative discussions with provincial officials regarding potential further supports and assistance that may be available.

We continue to hear directly from residents in significant need about the scale of damage and recovery still ahead. We encourage these residents to join our Vulnerable Assistance Registry.

Enhanced waste collection now available citywide.

Curbside garbage limits are lifted for flood-related waste until Aug. 14 on your regular collection day. Garbage can be placed at the curb from Aug. 10-14, even if it's not your regular garbage collection week.
Residents are not required to book flood-waste related large items for curbside collection. There is no limit to the number of large items you can set out curbside on your scheduled collection day.
Tipping fees are waived at Humberstone Landfill and Bridge Street Waste and Recycling Drop-off Depot until Aug. 15 (one pickup truck or trailer is the maximum load)

Learn more about the Niagara Region's temporary waste services due to flooding webpage.

Additional supports for waste removal

The large bins available at the St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre and Bill Burgoyne Arena for St. Catharines residents who need to dispose of storm-related construction waste will be open Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Proof of residency will be required.

Wednesday, August 5

Sink holes

Sink holes are beginning to appear around St. Catharines.

Geneva Street is closed from Glenholme Drive to Guy Road for sink hole repairs

Stay up-to-date on road closures, construction and maintenance with our traffic notices webpage

See a dip or soft spot in the road? Report it to us right away: Call 905.688.5600 or use our online Report an Issue form.

Vulnerable Assistance Registry

A Vulnerable Assistance Registry is open for applications for eligible residents who require support removing water and waste from their homes. Fill out our online form or call 905.688.5600 for intake support.

Premier Doug Ford tours flood impacted areas

Mayor Mat Siscoe, St. Catharines Fire Chief Dave Upper and City of St. Catharines officials joined Premier Doug Ford in Port Dalhousie to tour impacted areas and understand the damage to our community from the recent significant rainfalls flooding. We continue to advocate for additional relief supports for our community.

Tuesday, August 4

2 p.m.

Enhanced waste collection expanded

The City has worked with Niagara Region to extend enhanced waste collection services for St. Catharines residents in the eligible areas an additional week. Curbside garbage limits are lifted entirely for flood-related cleanup waste until Aug. 14 on your regular collection day.

No limit on the number of large items
Booking ahead is not required for flood waste
Garbage can be placed at the curb from August 10-14 even if it's not your regular garbage collection week
Tipping fees are waived at Humberstone Landfill and Bridge Street Waste and Recycling Drop-off Depot until August 15

See the Niagara Region's Facebook page and Temporary waste services webpage for more information and updates.

11:15 a.m.

Additional supports for waste removal

The City of St. Catharines arranged for additional supports for waste removal for St. Catharines residents impacted by extreme rainfall events last week.

Large bins are now available at the St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre and Bill Burgoyne Arena for St. Catharines residents who need to dispose of storm-related construction waste from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday.

Proof of residence will be required. Accepted construction waste includes:

Drywall
Insulation
Concrete, bricks
Construction wood
Asphalt, ceramic tile
Wood / laminate flooring
Rolled carpeting
Roofing shingles
Plumbing pipes

The temporary waste services due to flooding announced by the Niagara Region, including increased garbage bag limits and free tipping fees at Humberstone and Bridge Street landfills, also remains available.

8:45 a.m.

Press Conference

Mayor Mat Siscoe and the City of St. Catharines held a media conference at 9 a.m. this morning regarding the recent significant flooding. Watch the media conference on our YouTube channel.

Monday, August 3

2 p.m.

Mayor declares state of emergency

Mayor Mat Siscoe has declared a State of Emergency for the City of St. Catharines following significant flooding over the last week that has had widespread effects on homes and property over the last week. The declaration comes following a pair of intense storms that brought more than 140 mm of rain to areas across the City on July 27-28 and then again on August 2.

Sunday, August 2

10:30 p.m.

Significant Weather Event declaration

The City has declared a significant weather event, following another round of intense rainfall and storms, measuring over 100 mm of rain throughout the majority of the City, and higher volumes in some areas. Our crews are busy working through calls and service requests, addressing issues across the City. If you are experiencing flooding contact your insurance company to begin a claim and see our basement flooding page for important steps to take and information to gather.

Kiwanis open to community for showers, washrooms, pools will open late

To assist residents dealing with flood impacts in their homes the St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre lobby, washrooms, change rooms and shower facilities will open tomorrow (Monday, Aug. 3) for public use at 5:30 a.m. to support those who may not have access to those amenities.

The pools at the facility will be opening late due to the ongoing flooding issue. They are tentatively scheduled to open at 9 a.m. tomorrow (Aug. 3), but a confirmation will be provided in the morning ahead of that. Any programming ahead of 9 a.m. is cancelled as of this time.

8 p.m.

Enhanced waste collection expanded

The City has worked with Niagara Region to expand its enhanced waste collection beginning tomorrow (Monday, Aug. 3). See their Facebook post for details and their website for more details and updates. This will include an expanded curbside collection approach, and will include areas of Merritton / Secord Woods, including:

Unlimited regular household garbage bags and cans
Large household items (such as furniture)
Construction and demolition materials

Please place all materials within four feet of the roadway for collection and please note: Appliances, scrap metal, hazardous waste and liquid materials are not eligible for curbside collection. Learn about disposal options at https://niagararegion.ca/waste/.

Tipping fees continue to be waived at the Humberstone and Bridge Street landfills, and the City will begin placing large-scale bins at select City facilities (proof of residence will be required) on Tuesday. We will provide specific locations and detail as soon as these arrangements are finalized.

Today's rainfall

With today's rainfall, City crews have responded to a series of localized flooding calls, including overflowing catch basins, ditches and private properties. While water is dissipating, the rainfall warning remains in effect, with the potential for more heavy rain this evening.

If you have an urgent service request, call 905.688.5600. Non-urgent requests can be submitted online at https://webforms.stcatharines.ca/Report-an-Issue. We are not able to take service requests / reports via social media, so please use the appropriate channels to report issues.

Avoid creeks and watercourses with elevated water levels, and use caution around roads and low-lying areas that may experience flash flooding.

Vulnerable Assistance Registry

Reminder, The City has established a Vulnerable Assistance Registry for eligible residents who require support removing water and waste from their homes. Please fill out our form or call 905.688.5600 for intake support.

We continue to advocate to the Province for additional relief supports for our community beyond the programs already announced.

What happened?

Overnight July 27-28, 2026, St. Catharines experienced an extraordinary rainfall event that resulted in widespread flooding across the City, with a concentration in the north end. The storm system stalled over the north end of the City, resulting in heavy rainfall in the area. Rainfall totals reached approximately 138 mm in Port Dalhousie and 126 mm in Port Weller, with the heaviest rainfall occurring within only a few hours. That volume of precipitation over just a short period was significantly higher than the average rainfall for our community for the entire month of July, causing overland flooding.

The City declared a Significant Weather Event on July 28 and partially activated its Emergency Operations Centre to coordinate the response. Since the event began, City crews from across the organization have been working around the clock to respond to flooding impacts, assess municipal infrastructure, address priority health and safety concerns and support residents through the recovery process.

No indication of blockages or isolated infrastructure issues: heavy rain overwhelmed system

We understand residents have questions about what caused the widespread flooding, including concerns related to infrastructure, blockages, construction and growth.

Based on inspections completed to date, flooding was predominantly the result of the extraordinary volume and intensity of rainfall.

Municipal crews have inspected affected areas and, while localized concerns continue to be investigated, there has been no indication that a single blockage or isolated infrastructure issue was responsible for the widespread flooding. The Region of Niagara has indicated the same for their infrastructure, and says their water and wastewater infrastructure is operating normally. Reports of flooding have been received from neighbourhoods across much of the city, reflecting the widespread nature of this weather event.

The City's stormwater system is designed, maintained and operated to established engineering standards. However, no drainage system can be designed to eliminate flood risk under all conditions. The volume and intensity of rainfall experienced during this event placed significant stress on drainage systems across the city and contributed to widespread overland flooding impacts.

The causes of basement flooding can differ significantly from one property to another and may include surface water intrusion, elevated groundwater levels, sewer system surcharging, or a combination of factors. The City continues to investigate reported incidents; however, the geographic extent of impacts reported across the community suggests that multiple flooding mechanisms were likely contributors to this event.

The state of City infrastructure

Much of the infrastructure in our communities was designed based on historical weather patterns and standards that did not anticipate the frequency and severity of some of the extreme weather events we are experienced this week.

Stormwater systems are designed using a combination of underground sewer infrastructure and surface drainage routes. During exceptionally intense rainfall events, these systems can become overwhelmed, resulting in surface ponding, roadway flooding and water accumulating in low-lying areas.

The City continues to take a proactive, long-term approach to managing, renewing and improving infrastructure. Through the City’s Asset Management Plan, staff maintain a roadmap that guides infrastructure replacement, rehabilitation and investment decisions. These investments are made annually and prioritized based on asset condition, risk, community needs and available resources to ensure infrastructure continues to serve residents today and into the future.

Infrastructure capacity is also a key consideration as the community grows. New development and redevelopment projects are required to meet current stormwater management standards and demonstrate how water and will be managed to minimize impacts on surrounding properties and existing infrastructure.

What’s happening now?

The City recognizes that many residents are looking for answers as they continue the recovery process. As this continues, staff remain focused on supporting residents, responding to service requests and working with Niagara Region and provincial partners to identify available supports. The City has also been reviewing opportunities for additional assistance, including waste collection support for flood-damaged materials and other recovery resources that may become available.

Residents who experienced basement flooding are encouraged to:

Contact their insurance provider as soon as possible to begin the claims process.
Document any damage to their property.
Remove standing water safely where possible.
Visit the City’s basement flooding webpage for cleanup guidance, available resources and information about the Flood Alleviation Program (FLAP), which helps eligible homeowners install a sewer backup protection valve on their sanitary lateral.
Report the incident to Citizens First if you haven’t already by calling 905.688.5600 or citizensfirst@stcatharines.ca

We will continue to update this page and our social media with other supports as they become available.