Niagara municipalities declare emergency after back-to-back storms dump 250 mm of rain

St. Catharines and the nearby town of Lincoln in Ontario's Niagara Region declared states of emergency on Monday after back-to-back storms dumped a combined 250 millimetres of rain on the area in less than a week.

The rainfall delivered approximately a quarter of the region's typical annual precipitation, flooding thousands of homes and businesses. Premier Doug Ford visited the municipalities on Tuesday to meet with mayors and hear from workers and community members affected by the flooding.

St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe had appealed directly to provincial and federal governments for support after the storms, saying the city had been left to fend for itself. A spokesperson for Ontario's Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response said Tuesday that the province is assessing the floods against its eligibility requirements for its disaster recovery program, but did not confirm whether activation would occur or provide a timeline for that decision.

Residents in affected areas are navigating significant property damage, displacement from homes, and business interruptions. The extent of insured losses and long-term recovery needs remain being assessed.