Teams of provincial post-disaster auditors are conducting property inspections at homes in the Town of Rigaud after devastating floods hit the area last spring.
So far, auditors have visited homes on Pointe Seguin Road, one of the worst-hit areas in the municipality, where residents are still dealing with the consequences of the April and May flooding.
“This year, we had roughly two feet of water in front of my house,” resident Jacques Gagnon told Global News.
“If we go to the end of Pointe Seguin, we had another two and a half feet. That’s a lot of water.”
The town says the purpose of the inspections is to find out just how much damage was done to homes in the flood zones and to confirm the reported damage.
Officials explain inspectors want to know if water from the spring flooding reached the ground floors of houses, if foundations must be replaced and if homes need to be re-enforced.
Should any of these circumstances apply to a property, the town confirmed a damage assessment will be needed. If more than half the value of the home is damaged then the property could be considered a total loss.
“In that case, you have to demolish,” Gagnon’s neighbour, William Bradley, explained. “Already, they’re in court with a couple of the houses here. They’re gonna tear them down. It’s tough for the people because they can’t find replacement homes.”
Bradley’s not sure if others like him, whose homes are not a total loss, will get the compensation they think they should receive.
Rigaud Mayor Hans Gruenwald Jr. says it’s a difficult situation.
“It’s always difficult to assess these things on the surface because there’s reasoning here and reasoning there,” he told Global News via telephone.
Inspections are done by appointment, but by law, inspectors are able to show up unannounced. It’s not known when the inspections will be completed.