The Alberta government has revealed that it will give residents of the town of Stony Plain an opportunity to claim for compensation through a disaster aid program.

A release from Stony Plain’s officials confirmed that Alberta has opened up a Disaster Recovery Program (DRP) for those severely affected by the heavy rainfall in the summer. According to Environment Canada, there was more than 100mm of rain recorded in June – the second highest amount in the last two decades.

“We had a whole spectrum of comments,” town engineering manager Brett Newstead told The Stony Plain Reporter. “Some said they had a little bit of impact to their private properties and there were reports of a number of flooded basements.”

Newstead explained that the town does not have any disaster relief of its own, so residents will have to rely on the provincial programs.

“As of right now there is not any town program for this,” he stated. “We have heard thus far there is not really a limit on financial numbers for the DRP. We encourage folks to follow the process outlined on the website.”

The Stony Plain Reporter noted that the town’s officials have been working on projects to mitigate the risk of future heavy rain. In August, the town council passed a $350,000 flood prevention plan to upgrade culverts and infrastructure. Another $100,000 was earmarked to reinforce manholes.