An early winter storm with heavy wet snow caused fallen trees, many on cars, and power lines in Winnipeg early Friday morning, October 11, 2019. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)
Crews clean up after a snow storm, which hit parts of Manitoba Thursday and Friday, in Winnipeg on Sunday, October 13, 2019. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)
WINNIPEG — The Manitoba government is making disaster financial assistance available to municipalities impacted by last fall’s snowstorm.
The province was hammered by a severe weather event in October 2019 that saw snow, freezing rain, broken trees, and widespread power outages across Manitoba. The storm also triggered the use of the Red River Floodway for the first time ever in the fall.
“When a widespread natural disaster strikes and creates an unreasonable financial burden, DFA may be made available to help individuals and local authorities recover,” said Premier Brian Pallister.
The DFA program will fund approximately $12.5 million in claims, with the City of Winnipeg receiving roughly $1.7 million. City officials have previously said that cleanup costs were estimated to climb to about $10 million.
“The fall storm resulted in widespread damage, and the DFA program will help cover the costs of response and recovery from the overall weather event.”
Affected home and business owners are encouraged to seek assistance first through private insurance claims, and to carefully check insurance coverage to ensure they are protected against potential risks in their area.
Crews clean up after a snow storm which hit parts of Manitoba Thursday and Friday in Winnipeg on Sunday, October 13, 2019. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)
Pallister noted the province is confident additional financial support will stream in from the federal government through Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements.
Applications and further details are available online at manitobaemo.ca or by calling the Manitoba Emergency Measures Organization at (204) 945-3050 or (toll-free) 1-888-267-8298. Applications are also available at most municipal offices.
