The storm which raged through Yorkton July 1 left an indelible impression on city residents, many of whom are still dealing with the damage of the flooding caused.
While the local storm was keenly felt, Yorkton is not the only community in Saskatchewan to experience severe weather this summer. There are now more than 100 communities and rural municipalities which have declared states of emergency in the face of heavy rainstorms and tornadoes.
The severity of weather has left many homeowners and business owners dealing with damage which often is not covered by regular insurance.
That's where the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program (PDAP) comes into play. It is in essence a safety net which was designed to help residents deal with situations which are unexpected and severe. When you look at the weather experienced this spring and summer it is indeed both unexpected and severe, given how many communities have suffered through raging storms.
With the onslaught of applications to PDAP as a result of the bad weather, the shortcomings of the program became quickly apparent.
To the credit of the Brad Wall-led government, they too realized there was a need to make changes to PDAP in order to make it a better safety net for citizens.
The first step for the government was to fast track an initial payment on claims of $3,000. The amount, while not large in the face of the extent of damage many have dealt with, it is some cash to help bridge people through the initial disaster situation.
However, the significant changes were announced last week, and included measures such as reducing the initial deductible on payouts from 20 per cent to five.
The changes also increased the amount individual home owners and businesses are eligible for. The maximum amount of assistance available for principal residences goes from $160,000 to $240,000 and for eligible small businesses, non-profits, boards and primary agriculture enterprises from $160,000 to $500,000.
The changes are significant, and the government deserves credit for making them quickly in the face of this summer's bad weather.
Of course, as leader of the opposition Dwain Lingenfelter noted on a visit to the city last week, more could be done, especially in terms of farm losses. He was calling on Wall to lobby Ottawa for more money. Considering how Prime Minister Stephen Harper snubbed Yorkton after its flood, support from the federal government may be difficult to leverage, but Lingenfelter is right, Wall needs to keep the pressure on.
And, locally, Yorkton is emerging from the flood. That includes a number of volunteers organizing a major cabaret and silent auction for Aug. 27, with money destined for organizations which were first responders to flood victims in the city.
It's great to see the city helping itself, and to see the province responding to needs. It shows the best of people in our city and province.
