Council approves more measures for people impacted by historic flooding
Posted Jul 17, 2026 01:42:56 PM.
Last Updated Jul 17, 2026 01:46:50 PM.
It’s been weeks since the torrential downpour caused flash-flooding in Ottawa, ruining thousands of basements and forcing the city to provide a lot of support to residents.
At Wednesday’s council meeting, city officials approved more help to support affected residents, as many are still cleaning up from the historic and devastating Canada Day storm. One of those efforts is a partnership with the Canadian Red Cross that creates information hubs, distributes cleanup kits and gives people a hand in recovering.
The organization launched the 2026 Ottawa Floods Appeal to gather donations that will be given to those who need extra relief.
Red Cross staff can also help people navigate insurance claims, access professionals like engineers and provide resources.
This is on top of the approvals councillors made to help waive fees for flood-related repairs and avoid encroachment costs for waste containers being used to collect storm debris. The Compassionate Grant Program and Residential Protective Plumping Program are for people to access financial assistance.
Earlier this week, Mayor Sutcliffe asked Premier Doug Ford to open up eligibility for affected residents to access a recovery fund.
Known as the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians (DRAO), it is a fund helping people recover from natural disasters. It can be activated if there’s a “sudden, unexpected natural event, such as a flood or tornado, that causes costly and widespread damage in your area,” the province notes on its website.
Intense flooding cancelled events
The July 1 storm prompted one of the worst flooding seen in the city in decades.
According to Environment Canada’s data, 118.4 millimetres of precipitation fell on Canada Day. This is about double the previous record — 58.9 mm — that was first set in 1959 at the Ottawa International Airport.
As a result, Ottawa’s mayor said the city has 6,000 reports of flooded basements after the “historic event.”
In the aftermath, it caused 30,000 people to lose power, widespread property damage, the strong winds knocked down trees and about 100 people had to evacuate their homes.
It brought up anxieties of the 2022 derecho and created unease in the city as neighbours continue to help one another weeks after the extreme event.
