The Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake is encouraging all residents and business owners affected by recent flooding events to complete the Town's Flood Recovery Data Collection Form to help support ongoing recovery efforts and strengthen the Town's advocacy with the Province of Ontario.
"We know this flooding has had a significant impact on many residents, businesses, and organizations throughout Niagara-on-the-Lake," said Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa. "I encourage everyone who experienced flooding to complete the form, even if they have already reported concerns to the Town. The more complete our information is, the stronger our ability will be to advocate for our community and support discussions with the Province regarding potential recovery assistance."
The information collected through the form will help the Town better understand the full impact of flooding across the community, including property damage, cleanup and recovery costs, insurance coverage, and challenges experienced by affected residents and businesses.
The Town has been working closely with provincial officials and is gathering detailed information to support discussions regarding potential Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians (DRAO) funding and other recovery programs that may be available to eligible residents, businesses, farms, and not-for-profit organizations.
"Understanding the full extent of the impacts experienced across our community is critical," said CAO Nick Ruller. "The information collected through this form will help the Town advocate on behalf of residents and businesses, support discussions with the Province, and ensure that decision-makers have the evidence needed to understand how flooding affected Niagara-on-the-Lake."
While many residents have already reported flooding through My.NOTL.com or by contacting Town Staff, the new Flood Recovery Data Collection Form serves a different purpose.
Previous reports helped staff respond to issues and identify where flooding was occurring. The new form collects more detailed information about damages, recovery costs, insurance claims, insurance coverage, and ongoing recovery challenges.
The information gathered will help the Town:
- Document the full extent of flooding impacts experienced by residents and businesses across Niagara-on-the-Lake.
- Identify uninsured and underinsured losses and better understand where insurance coverage may not have been available.
- Collect the data needed to support discussions with the Province regarding potential Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians (DRAO) funding.
- Strengthen the Town's ability to advocate on behalf of affected residents and businesses.
- Identify areas most affected by flooding to support future flood mitigation, emergency preparedness, and infrastructure planning initiatives.
- Support mapping and analysis efforts to better understand flood patterns throughout the community.
Residents and business owners who experienced flooding are encouraged to complete the Flood Recovery Data Collection Form as soon as possible.
To make participation as easy as possible, Town Staff will be available at Town Hall starting today, September 21, 2026, to assist residents and business owners with completing the form, answering questions, and providing information about the data collection process. Residents who require assistance or do not have access to a computer are encouraged to visit Town Hall during regular business hours.
The Town is also partnering with the Niagara Regional Community Emergency Response Team (NRCERT) to support community outreach efforts and assist residents who may require help completing the form.
Important Information About Potential Financial Assistance
The Province's Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians (DRAO) program may provide financial assistance for essential costs resulting from natural disasters when those costs are not covered by insurance.
However, completing the Flood Recovery Data Collection Form does not guarantee eligibility for assistance, nor does it guarantee that a provincial assistance program will be activated for Niagara-on-the-Lake.
The information collected will help the Town determine whether the community may meet provincial criteria for disaster recovery assistance and will support ongoing advocacy efforts with the province on behalf of affected residents and businesses.
In addition to supporting potential funding discussions, the data collected will provide valuable insights into flood patterns and recurring areas of concern throughout Niagara-on-the-Lake. This information will help inform future infrastructure investments, flood mitigation projects, emergency preparedness planning, and long-term community resilience efforts.
The Town will continue promoting the initiative over the coming weeks and will provide updates as information is collected and discussions with provincial officials progress.
Complete the Flood Recovery Data Collection Form
Media Contact:
Quinton Ascah, Communications Coordinator
905-468-3266 | communications@notl.com