Three months after the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) applied to have an August windstorm in the Columbia Valley deemed eligible for Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA), it has received an answer from the province and it is ‘no.’

“We were hoping that given the magnitude of impacts from the windstorm this summer, our request for DFA would be approved,” explained RDEK Protective Services Manager Christina Carbrey.

“Unfortunately, the Ministry of Emergency Management & Climate Readiness has denied our application for both private and public intakes.”

In its response to the RDEK’s request the ministry cited several reasons for its denial, including:

• Windstorms are outside the scope of Disaster Financial Assistance.
• Most losses were insurable losses – DFA is intended for uninsured damages.
• Disaster Financial Assistance for local governments and First Nations is for events with more than $1million in damages.

The windstorm swept through the region in late August, with the heaviest concentration of damage in the Columbia Valley. In addition to making the application to the province for funding assistance, the RDEK coordinated a volunteer organization to help with debris removal and brought a Recovery Manager into the valley for just over a month to help support impacted residents.

“The province provided funding for the Recovery Manager position and supported many other aspects of the response. So, while we are disappointed that DFA has not been approved, we are grateful to have received that other support,” added Carbrey.

The application to have the August 23 event deemed eligible including a survey from residents of the Columbia Valley that included over 275 submissions and a comprehensive summary of damages to public spaces and infrastructure.

RDEK image

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