Some towns in Ontario's Niagara region have declared states of emergency after heavy rainfalls caused severe flooding for the second time in less than a week, according to CBC News. Officials say their drainage systems have been overwhelmed by the storms.
More than 300 millimetres of rain has pounded the Niagara region in less than a week, triggering widespread and severe flooding, the broadcaster reported. Residents across the region have shared video online of flooded basements.
One resident said that as the evening progressed it got worse and worse, with clay washing out, and that they do not have flood insurance because they have a stone foundation and a 130-year-old house, calling it an absolute mess, according to CBC News.
Municipal officials are calling for disaster relief from upper levels of government, saying local infrastructure simply is not built to handle back-to-back historic storms, the broadcaster reported.
The city of St. Catharines, for the second time in five days, is dealing with more than 100 millimetres of rain, described as about a hurricane's worth, dropped on the city in a short period of time, according to CBC News. An official said he was respectfully requesting that the federal and provincial governments find a way to provide some form of disaster relief assistance.
Nearby Lincoln has also declared a state of emergency, while towns like Niagara-on-the-Lake struggle to protect both homes and critical agricultural land, the broadcaster reported. Officials said water was backing up in vineyards and orchards, cresting over roads and spilling over culverts.
Officials also spoke about the emotional toll on residents, saying people are absolutely exhausted, according to CBC News. With more rain forecast later this week, local crews are working around the clock at waterways, hoping to avoid the same levels of flooding when the next storm hits.