Residents Encouraged to Submit Damage Report Following Weekend Windstorm
A weekend windstorm has left a wake of downed trees and damage and as residents continue the clean-up, the East Kootenay Emergency Management Team is working to gather more specifics on the scope of the damage.
“We know there are widespread impacts across the Columbia Valley and are applying to the Province to have the windstorm be eligible for Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA); however, in order to present our request to the Province, we need to be able to clearly articulate the magnitude of the storm’s impacts,” explains Regional Information Officer Loree Duczek. “We have set up a Damage Report Form that can be filled out and includes an area for images to be uploaded. We are asking anyone in the Columbia Valley who experienced damage as a result of the storm to fill out a form, include photos and as much detail as possible.”
The Damage Report Form can be filled out online at [url=https://engage.rdek.bc.ca/wind]https://engage.rdek.bc.ca/wind[/url]. Anyone without access to a computer can call the Regional Emergency Information Line at 250-426-2188 or 1-855-346-2188 Monday to Friday between 9am and 4pm and one of the operators will be able to complete a form over the phone.
The deadline to submit a form is 8:00am Tuesday, September 3, 2024.
“This is for everyone in the Columbia Valley who has been impacted, including all rural areas, municipalities and First Nations, as we are all working together and submitting the request collectively,” adds Duczek. Residents are being encouraged to keep a detailed record of damages, including receipts and costs for clean-up and to contact their insurance companies to see if they are covered.
The information received through the Damage Report Forms will be used as part of the package being submitted to the Province requesting DFA funding be approved for this event. “Gathering detailed information and applying to the Province is the first step in the process and is our primary focus currently,” adds Duczek. If DFA is approved, more details on what that looks like, who could apply and what might be covered would be provided at that time.
