Burlington to request provincial aid in flood cleanup

WATCH: Raw video of flooding on streets and in homes in Burlington

Burlington mayor Rick Goldring is requesting provincial assistance after Monday’s rainstorm dumped over two months worth of rain in a matter of hours and affected over 1,500 homes.

Mayor Goldring made the announcement at a press conference Friday morning where he called for a special council meeting next week to request disaster relief assistance from the province.

The mayor said 1,578 homes have been directly affected by the rainfall, but he expects the total to be closer to 2,000.

Goldring also said the majority of affected homes did have insurance coverage, but that insurance, in some cases, was far from adequate.

“It’s devastating,” Goldring said.

“Some people can handle a $50,000 hit, but there are many who can’t.”

One Burlington resident who spoke at the conference said the flood caused $100,000 worth of damage to her home, but her insurance policy would only cover up to $10,000.

The City of Burlington is asking residents who have experienced flooding to contact them by calling 311.

If residents can prove the floods were caused by a sewer backup, they can qualify for $1,000 in financial assistance.
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In an effort to help raise money, the Burlington branch of United Way has put out a call for flood relief donations.

Mayor Goldring, holding back tears, said despite the flood affecting so many homes, his own included, the incident bolstered the city’s sense of community.

“Despite the fact that people have been devastated, so many people are coming together and helping each other,” the Mayor said.

On Tuesday, he called it the “worst flooding we’ve seen in Burlington in the last 20 years.”