Seven Ontario municipalities declare states of emergency, claims teams on standby

Seven Ontario municipalities have declared states of emergency due to flooding caused by melting snow from to a jump in temperatures last week, in addition to in excess of 75mm of rainfall in certain areas.

As of Sunday, much of the province continued to experience the after effects of Thursday and Friday’s precipitation event, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR). Issues have been reported across the Sudbury, North Bay, Parry Sound, Bancroft and Pembroke districts, including the Ottawa River.

Some watercourses across the province continue to see rising water levels and flows and this trend is likely to continue as snowmelt and runoff from the recent event make their way through the various watercourses, the MNR reported.

As of Monday afternoon, the Town of Bancroft, the City of Kawartha Lakes, the Township of South Algonquin, the Town of Bracebridge, the Town of Huntsville, Haliburton County and Markstay-Warren had all declared a state of emergency.

Granite Claims Solutions (GCS) Catastrophe response team was alerted and put on standby for storm-related claims in the Northern areas of Ontario on Friday. The team includes considerable additional resources in the company’s Contact Centre, as well as a team of skilled property catastrophe adjusters, and experienced estimators from the Evaluate group, according to Greig Boyle, executive vice president of national operations with Granite Claims Solutions.

IN PICTURES: Communities in Ontario’s cottage country hit hard by flooding. cp24.com/photo-gallerie…

— CP24 (@CP24) April 22, 2013

“Several of our clients have already requested that we attend on their behalf, to inspect and  quantify damage to the property of their policyholders,” Boyle, who is managing the field response to the recent event in Northern Ontario, said. “Cities of Bracebridge, Huntsville and Gravenhurst appear to be the hardest hit, showing significant flood damage. The impact of this storm can be seen as far north as South River, Powassan and North Bay.”

“As the flood waters subside and owners of seasonal properties and cottages get the chance to attend and inspect these locations, there is no doubt that the number of claims will increase,” he added. “Early observations show considerable damage to roads and other infrastructure. This will constitute a considerable part of the costs from this event.”

In South Algonquin Township, water volumes increased to historically high levels on Friday afternoon and continued to rise through Saturday. Emergency dam repairs were being performed on Friday, but water volumes were, at that time, 40% greater than the highest levels ever recorded.

In the Town of Bancroft, water levels, which are already higher than normal, are expected to continue to rise for the major part of the week, depending on weather conditions, according to a release from Mayor Bernice Jenkins.

In order to relieve the water level on Baptiste Lake, a log was removed from the High Falls Dam on Sunday evening, which would likely cause water levels on the York River to rise about 2 in. by Monday morning, according to the Town of Bancroft. If necessary, another log will be removed.

In the City of Kawartha Lakes, a state of emergency is still in effect in the Burnt River, Black River and Gull River watersheds. Many roads in the community remain closed, with some area residents being forced to evacuate.

The Township of Minden Hills is also recommending that all residents evacuate the inland areas as the Gull River continues to rise.

In Huntsville, water levels reached record-breaking levels, forcing power to be shut off in many affected areas as a safety precaution. While water levels appear to have peaked in the downtown area, and areas around the municipality have seen a water level drop, areas that have previously not seen flooding remain a concern until the water moves through the system, including the surrounding lakes and southern river systems, according to the Township’s website.

“The next couple of days will see a bit of a drying trend across both the northeastern and southern regions which should allow for a slight recovery for some watercourses,” according to the MNR. “Forecast precipitation from Sunday to Thursday indicates the main areas experiencing flooding and high water may only see 5-10mm of additional precipitation.”

For Ontarians looking for answers, or those who need help with their insurance questions, Insurance Bureau of Canada’s (IBC) Consumer Information Centre is available at 1-800-387-2880.

“During this time ensuring you and your family are safe should be everyone’s first priority. We urge homeowners to know that insurers are there to help people when they need it most,” IBC said. “We also urge homeowners to ensure they have the contact information for their insurance representative readily available. If you need to make a claim, it’s best to initiate the process as soon as possible.”