Provincial program could keep people afloat after heavy rains

With the dumping of rain over the past night and morning, some homes and businesses will inevitably need a helping hand for flood damages.

Over 60mm was forecasted for the southeast, with some areas receiving between 80mm and 90mm, which can cause a good bit of flooding in such a short time.

For those unprepared, that can mean replacing essentials, which the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program is specifically set up to help with.

Executive Director Noel Mcavena describes what kind of events they respond to and what they cover.

"The Provincial Disaster Assistance Program is a provincial program that was established to help residents, small businesses, agriculture operations, non-profits, and communities recover from natural disasters that would include things like flooding, tornado, plough winds, and other disasters caused by severe weather. PDAP's primarily there to help cover the loss of uninsurable essential losses, cleanups, and repairs."

PDAP isn't designed to compete with insurance companies, covering other essentials such as clothing, essential furnishings, and some appliances.

The program works on a community-by-community basis and responds based on severe weather, like the snowstorms that blew into the southeast last month.

"Communities that have been designated through the PDAP program will be listed on our website. Those communities are available to request assistance for the specific disasters that they were designated for," said Mcavena, "So far this year it's been primarily the snowstorms that rolled through the southeast of the province earlier."

Applying for the PDAP is usually done through a community's own structure after the program has been approved for the area.

"In order to apply for PDAP, your local authority has to have made a designation," said Mcavena, "Which is basically a process by which they let us know an event has happened. All the applications would be handled through your local authority, most likely a local RM office or a town hall."

The program also has some resources to use ahead of potentially disastrous situations.

"There are lots of resources on the Saskatchewan.ca website if you just look for emergency preparedness on there," said Mcavena, "There are resources on how to prepare yourself for general emergencies and then also for flooding specifically."

You can find those resources here and the PDAP's information site here.