Most people in Athabasca know someone who was affected by the wet weather July 24. Farmers fields flooded, water piled on roads, and some people had severe basement damage.
One county resident estimated his basement was covered in six inches of water, which came into contact with sewer drains. That resident said as the costs were adding up, he was “extremely happy” to have the insurance he has.
If you are a homeowner that lucked out, you might want to make sure your insurance covers “overland flooding” – flooding from the water outside a residence rising to a level that sees it enters your home.
It doesn’t really flood here that often? You just never know. Look at Westlock. Last August, the town suffered that dreaded once-in-a-100-years flood. People were canoeing in the Sobey’s parking lot; basements were drenched.
In the same way, municipalities cannot predict unexpected disasters. Just as homeowners are responsible for making sure they are covered, municipalities should ensure a natural disaster would not put them into bankruptcy.
With Athabasca County and the Town of Athabasca recently deciding to jointly invest in a new $15-million pool and taking on major debentures to fund the new facility, the question arises – is there enough money left over for a really rainy day?
According to last week’s Westlock News, Town of Westlock Mayor Ralph Leriger said his municipality has delayed repairing damaged infrastructure due to financial constraints while waiting for provincial cash, a situation worsened by the looming cost of upgrading their own water reservoir.
“This is placing us in a precarious situation if such an event occurs again,” he said.
Just as fire departments would be found in contempt if they sent all their engines to help a neighbouring municipality and a devastating fire happened at home, councils should dread a situation in which there is no money left over for emergency relief.
