Mayor Siscoe declares state of emergency following extraordinary weather events and City-wide flooding

Today (Aug. 3, 2026), St. Catharines 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 again on August 2. The historic storms overwhelmed the City’s infrastructure, including roads and sewer / stormwater infrastructure, and has caused flooding that has affected homes, businesses, City facilities, and significant property damage, including shoreline erosion to private and public property. The City's Emergency Operations Centre has remained active since Tuesday morning to coordinate response efforts, prioritize resources and support decision-making as recovery continues.

The declaration is a proactive step to ensure the City has all tools available in its response and recovery and further supports ongoing requests for assistance from other levels of government. While the current weather situation is stabilizing, declaring a State of Emergency is also a proactive measure that helps ensure the City is prepared if conditions change. The last two rainfall events produced two to three times the amount of rain that had been forecast, and with the ground already saturated from nearly a week's worth of exceptional rainfall, the risk of further impacts from another significant storm remains elevated. The declaration allows the City to maintain enhanced coordination, access emergency resources more quickly if needed, and respond without delay should conditions worsen.

“Many residents are reliving the devastating experience of flooding for the second time in less than a week, and Sunday's storm extended those impacts to even more neighbourhoods across St. Catharines,” says Mayor Mat Siscoe. “This declaration underscores the severity of what our community has experienced and the need for continued support from our partners at all levels of government as we work together through recovery.

"We know how physically, emotionally and financially exhausting this has been for our community. The impact goes far beyond material loss and it’s taking a toll on our residents.”

Following Sunday’s storm, the City continues to address any urgent calls for service and have been working around the clock to address flooding impacts, assess municipal infrastructure and address any priority health and safety concerns. While crews continue to investigate reported incidents, the volume and intensity of rainfall experienced Sunday, with the ground still saturated from the storm days earlier, once again placed significant stress on drainage systems across the city and contributed to widespread overland flooding on properties that also breeched homes.

Residents are encouraged to continue monitoring the City's website and social media channels for updates, available supports and recovery information. The City will continue working closely with provincial partners, Niagara Region and other agencies to coordinate recovery efforts and advocate for the resources needed to support the community. Updates from the City, along with links to resources and supports for those who have experienced flooding are available at www.stcatharines.ca/floods.

City officials would like to thank residents, businesses, first responders, City staff and community partners for their patience, resilience and ongoing support throughout this response and recovery period. While recovery will take time, the City is committed to working alongside residents and businesses by providing available municipal supports, coordinating recovery efforts and advocating with partners at all levels of government for the resources needed to help our community move forward.