Burlington flood victims receiving much needed help from neighbours

MISSISSAUGA – Flooded Burlington residents are coming to each other’s aid after a record rainstorm flooded much of the city with two month’s worth of rain in just a few hours.

Debbie Hannon’s brother was caring for their elderly mother when the rain started outside of their childhood home.

“He said it filled up the basement in less than a minute,” Hannon said.

The family is now trying to salvage anything they can from the basement of the home.

She describes, with much affection, helping her late father build the house 60 years ago, when she was a child.

“He gave me my own hammer and nails,” she said. “This would kill him.”

READ MORE: Burlington hit by the worst flooding in nearly 20 years 

She feels consoled however by the sight of her neighbours offering assistance. Some of her neighbours are facing the same heavy task of uncovering years of memories and possessions buried in mud and water.

A thunderstorm poured between 100 and 120 mm of rain on parts of Burlington Monday. 

When the rain let up, dozens of homes were left flooded, many with severe damage.

Ten-year-old Hannah Dick was visiting her grandmother in Burlington at the time when the storm ended.  There was no damage to her grandmother’s residence, so Hannah set out with her mother to help.

“You have to admit you feel a little guilty looking at them drive by and not doing anything,” Hannah said.

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With a broom in hand, the little girl was standing alongside her mother, Kim Haswell, pushing a thick mixture of earthly-brown mud and sludge toward the curb of Mark Palowich’s home – who moved into the home two months ago.

“They’re great – they’re fantastic,” he said, praising the young girl and her mother.

Next door, the Dilworth family has all gathered too to help clean up the mess left in the wake of the storm.

“It was like Niagara Falls,” Mary Dilworth said. “There was a sea of water.”

The family spent the entire day with a gas powered sump pump trying to remove water that reached to the ceiling of the basement.

“Any more and it would have been the whole house,” Mary said.