Debby downpour: Quebec falling short on promised flood relief, mayors say

A group of mayors from the Montreal region says the Quebec government has fallen short of its promise to increase financial aid for victims of torrential rain that hit the province earlier this month.

Last week, Quebec Premier François Legault suggested the province would expand its disaster assistance program to include sewer backups, which are typically covered by private insurance.

But this week, the government says only people whose sewers backed up because of flooding from a nearby waterway will be eligible.

The organization of 82 municipalities says the change is meaningless and won’t help many people whose basements flooded when up to 200 millimetres of rain fell on parts of Quebec on Aug. 9.

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The group wants the Quebec government to respond to the changing climate and expand the financial aid program to include sewer backups even in homes far from waterways.

But the government says it doesn’t want the disaster assistance program to replace private insurance.