Disaster Recovery

2022 Hay River Flood Recovery

The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs is no longer accepting new Disaster Assistance Policy applications for the 2022 flood.  Individuals with questions about existing claims can contact Pathfinders by phone or email at: 867-446-4492 or disasterassistance@gov.nt.ca

Overview

Recovery from the 2022 flooding in Hay River and K'atl'odeeche First Nation to repair and restore properties and infrastructure is ongoing.

Residents and businesses in the Town of Hay River should be aware of upcoming deadlines and the importance of taking mitigation measures related to future property protection and disaster assistance eligibility.

These deadlines do not apply on the K'atl'odeeche First Nation (KFN) reserve, where the GNWT is facilitating recovery activities with KFN and the federal government.

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Town of Hay River - Flood 2022 deadlines

Deadline to Submit Final Disaster Assistance Claim – December 31, 2024.

Hay River residents and businesses who have applied for disaster assistance must submit their final claim for disaster assistance, including costs for abatement, mitigation and repair or replacement of homes, businesses and contents on the Standardized Item List  by December 31, 2024. 

Future eligibility for disaster assistance

Under the GNWT’s Disaster Assistance Policy, financial assistance may be provided up to three times under the following conditions:

  • Private property was constructed in an area before it was known or designated as being disaster-prone.
  • Proof that mitigation actions have been taken to limit future damage.

Mitigation measures

If your home or business was damaged by the 2022 flood in Hay River, you will not be eligible for future disaster assistance related to a similar disaster event unless appropriate mitigation measures have been taken.

Mitigation measures  are actions taken to decrease future flood damage, such as home elevation; relocating appliances out of basements and crawl spaces; or using water-resistant building materials.

Please note:

  • The GNWT can provide up to a maximum of $75,000 for residents and small businesses with eligible 2022 claims to undertake mitigation actions.
    • The final deadline for submitting a notice of intent to undertake mitigation was December 31, 2023. 
    • For residents and businesses who have submitted a letter of intent, the final deadline to submit a mitigation application is February 28, 2024.  The application must include a mitigation consultation report.
  • Mitigation work to address the 2022 flood should take place as soon as possible.

To maintain eligibility for disaster assistance for potential flood damage in upcoming flood seasons, property owners must demonstrate that they undertook best efforts to complete 2022 mitigation measures. Examples may include: requesting a mitigation consultation; obtaining mitigation quotes; submitting mitigation funding applications to MACA; and, scheduling the completion of mitigation work.
 

The Spring 2022 Flood Level Mapping Report

The Spring 2022 Flood Level Mapping Report describes the survey methods and elevation data for High Water Marks (HWMs) identified and marked in May 2022, following the flood event in the Town of Hay River and on the K’atl’odeeche First Nation (KFN) reserve. It also includes photographs, location coordinates and descriptions of the HWMs.

Data from this report will be used to inform the development of future flood maps.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has existing flood maps for this area that were adopted in 1980s and these maps remain the authoritative maps until new maps are developed.  It is anticipated that preliminary inundation maps for Hay River will be completed in Spring 2023; this is the first step towards the completion of new flood maps for the area. 

As part of recovery efforts, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA) is recommending that, where warranted, homes be elevated at least 40 cm above the 2022 flood elevation, subject to any additional requirements that apply in the Town of Hay River due to their by-laws.

The Spring 2022 Flood Level Mapping Report Summary

FULL REPORT

For information specific to your community, reach out to your community government.

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