St. Catharines mayor wades through flooded basement, pleads for province's help
Mayor Mat Siscoe recorded himself in his own flooded home asking for provincial and federal disaster relief after torrential rains hit Niagara region twice in a week.
Sources · local media reports
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St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe recorded himself knee-deep in the brown water filling his own basement on Tuesday, August 4, calling directly on Ontario Premier Doug Ford and federal officials to help thousands of affected residents.
St. Catharines and the Town of Lincoln declared states of emergency following two intense storms that dropped more than 140mm of rain across the Niagara region—one on July 27-28 and another on August 2. In his video, Siscoe said the city had dealt with "more than a hurricane's worth of rain" in each downpour.
"The city has been left to fend for itself," Siscoe said, describing how thousands of homes flooded while the city deployed its own exhausted resources. He singled out vulnerable residents—elderly people and those with accessibility challenges—living with sewage in their basements for days as the city waited for help.
Ford pledged assistance, promising Ontario Corps—a province-run volunteer program providing emergency support—would arrive on the ground. Speaking to broadcasters Tuesday morning, Siscoe said promised help had yet to materialize and the city was rapidly burning through its finances. "We need the assistance as soon as possible," he said, stressing the cascading nature of the events: "This is actually a series of three torrential downpours," not a single weather event.
Officials said the region received up to three times more rain than meteorologists had predicted. Siscoe warned that with extreme weather becoming more frequent, governments need to rethink how disaster assistance is triggered and delivered.
When will Ontario Corps volunteers actually arrive to help with cleanup and recovery?
What is the total estimated damage across St. Catharines and Lincoln from both storms?
How much disaster relief funding has the province pledged and what form will it take?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
By the numbers
How much rain fell on the Niagara region during the storms?
More than 140mm of rain fell across the Niagara region during two intense storms in late July and early August 2026.
When did the two major storms hit the Niagara region?
The Niagara region was hit by storms on July 27-28 and August 2, 2026.
How much more rain fell than meteorologists predicted?
The region received up to three times more rain than meteorologists had predicted.
