Mayor Siscoe addresses recent flooding and the path forward

A statement from Mayor Mat Siscoe following the recent city-wide flooding incidents, the City’s response and the path toward a more flood-resilient St. Catharines:

Over the past two weeks, thousands of residents across St. Catharines have experienced flooding unlike anything our community has ever seen. Since July 21^st, the City of St. Catharines has experienced three extraordinary rainfall events, each producing rainfall amounts near or above what is typically associated with a 100-year storm in parts of the region. Between July 21^st and August 2^nd, much of St. Catharines received more than a foot of rain, a volume of water that would overwhelm virtually any municipal stormwater system in North America. While the City’s infrastructure was generally able to cope with the first major storm, the ground had little ability to dry out and recover. Saturated ground and already elevated water levels meant that the second and third rain events resulted in widespread flooding across St. Catharines, as well as other parts of northern Niagara.

While emergency response and recovery remain our immediate priority, we also have a responsibility to ensure our community is better prepared for the future. Last week, following discussions with City Councillors and conversations with residents, I issued a Mayoral Direction to St. Catharines CAO David Oakes in response to the recent widespread flooding in our community.

The Direction requires staff to report back to Council with recommendations in seven key areas:

• Independent Flood Resilience Review – Establish an independent working group of engineers, infrastructure experts, environmental professionals and community leaders to investigate the recent flooding, identify causes, and develop a long-term action plan and funding strategy to better protect St. Catharines from future extreme rainfall. This working group will explicitly build a business case to present to the Federal and Provincial levels of government for funding;
• Priority Flood Mitigation Areas – Develop transparent criteria to identify the neighbourhoods most in need of immediate attention, then recommend both short-term actions and long-term capital projects for those highest-risk locations;
• Enhance the Flood Alleviation Program (FLAP) – Review and expand the City's homeowner flood protection program by considering additional eligible measures, improved funding options, lessons from Toronto's program, and ways to increase participation;
• Review Stormwater Maintenance Practices – Examine how the City inspects, maintains and replaces stormwater infrastructure such as catch basins, ditches, culverts and watercourses, and recommend service level improvements where appropriate;
• Improve Public Reporting and Monitoring – Create better ways for residents to report blocked waterways, drainage issues and trail washouts, while using that information to better prioritize maintenance work;
• Expand Public Education and Preparedness – Develop a comprehensive education campaign to help residents reduce flood risk through better awareness of grants, property maintenance, drainage practices, and steps they can take before major storms;
• Continue Enhanced Waste Collection – Arrange a third city-wide week of "take all" curbside waste collection for flood-affected households, with the option of extending it for a fourth week if needed.

Behind every flooded basement is a family dealing with disruption, financial loss and an incredible amount of stress. Our residents don't expect us to control the weather. They do expect us to learn from it, prepare for it, and fight for the investments needed to protect our community. That's exactly what this Direction is designed to do.

While this work is absolutely necessary, it is only the beginning of our community's recovery. Families are still cleaning up, businesses are still recovering, and many residents continue to face significant financial and emotional challenges.

We cannot prevent extreme weather events. Changing weather patterns are making storms like these more frequent and more intense. But we can reduce their impact through planning, smart infrastructure investments and stronger partnerships between municipalities, the Province and the Government of Canada. St. Catharines will do its part. We will learn from what happened, make the investments we can, and continue advocating for the support our community needs to build a more resilient future.