Disaster Financing Available For Flood Victims

By 250 News

Victoria, B.C. - The  Province has  opened the door for disaster funding for those hit hardest by the  torrential rainfall over the weekend in Central Coast and North Vancouver Island communities.

The following areas are eligible for Disaster  Financial Assistance: parts of Northern Vancouver Island including Port Alice, Port Hardy and Zeballos and the Central Coast region, including the communities of Bella Coola, Kingcome, and the Highway 20 corridor between Bella Coola and Anahim Lake and surrounding area.

To be eligible for assistance, the damage must be from an uninsurable event such as overland flooding. Sewer backup and wind damage are examples of insurable damage and therefore not eligible for DFA assistance.

"In the communities of Bella Coola and Zeballos, where road washouts have effectively cut off access, we are working with authorities to address resupply of food and fuel as well as managing logistics around any medical needs," said Premier Campbell. "We're also supporting local governments in the other flood impacted areas and, if they request them, the Province has a number of resources available to support these local authorities including sandbags, sandbagging machines, gabion diking and water technical experts from the Ministry of Environment."

For acceptable claims, the program covers up to 80 per cent of the portion of a claim exceeding $1,000, to a maximum of $300,000. Local governments are also eligible for DFA.

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