The province is activating the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians (DRAO) program in the Town of Fort Frances.
On April 22, 2022, severe weather and heavy rainfall led to overland flooding and washed-out roads throughout the municipality. According to Environment Canada, Fort Frances experienced about 71 millimeters of rain. The town’s wastewater treatment system was also overloaded, which resulted in basement flooding for some residents. On April 23, 2022, the town declared a state of emergency due to critical infrastructure failure and flooding.
The disaster assistance program applies to a primary residence and its basic contents, or to a small business, farm or not-for-profit organization. It provides assistance for emergency expenses and the costs to repair or replace essential property following a natural disaster not covered by insurance. Low-income households can apply for assistance for damage caused by sewer backup, which is not otherwise eligible under the program.
To find out if they may be eligible for assistance, if they are in the activation area and for next steps, individuals, small businesses, farms and not-for-profit organizations should review the map and program guidelines available at ontario.ca/DisasterAssistance, or call 1-877-822-0116 or email disasterassistance@ontario.ca after speaking with their private insurance provider.
Residents with no insurance coverage or whose insurance coverage is insufficient to cover essential costs have until September 6, 2022 to apply for assistance through the program.
