Burlington, Halton Hills and Mississauga – The Ontario government is activating the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians (DRAO) program in specific areas alongside creeks and rivers in Burlington, Halton Hills, and Mississauga. On July 15 and July 16, 2024, heavy rain caused flooding in some creekside neighbourhoods in Burlington, the community of Norval in Halton Hills, and an area around Little Etobicoke Creek in Mississauga. The Little Etobicoke Creek area was impacted again by flooding from heavy rain on August 17 and August 18, 2024. The flooding in areas adjacent to creeks and rivers caused damage to homes and businesses that is not covered by insurance.
“I want to thank all the first responders, municipal staff, volunteers, and those on the ground who went above and beyond to support the people impacted by overland and riverine flooding in parts of the GTA this summer,” said Paul Calandra, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “Our government will continue working with our community partners to help those affected.”
“In July of this year, our community faced extreme flooding in some areas of Burlington. My heart goes out to everyone who has been impacted. I am pleased that the Province has activated the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontario (DRAO) program for specific areas impacted by this natural disaster,” said Natalie Pierre, MPP Burlington. “This program will help people replace essential items and cover emergency expenses that insurance may not cover. If you’ve been affected, I encourage you to apply for this support—it’s there to help."
The disaster assistance program applies to a primary residence and its basic contents, or to a small business, farm or not-for-profit organization. When activated following a natural disaster, it provides assistance for emergency expenses and the costs to repair or replace essential property that is not covered by insurance. Insurance for sewer back-up is widely available and this type of flood damage is not generally eligible under the program.
To find out if they may be eligible for assistance if they are in the activation area and for next steps, individuals, small businesses, farms and not-for-profit organizations should review the maps and program guidelines available at ontario.ca/DisasterAssistance, or call 1-877-822-0116 or email disasterassistance@ontario.ca after speaking with their private insurance provider.
Residents with no insurance coverage or whose insurance coverage is insufficient to cover essential costs have until March, 27, 2025 to apply for assistance through the program.
Additional Resources