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triumph in the face of disaster - the fl ood of 2013


Feeling forgotten and holding tight to the memories


2,500 homes evacuated. Approximately 500 homes damaged. 16 homes to be demolished. Millions upon millions of dollars in damage. But behind the numbers are countless Hatters who have had their lives turned upside down and are still recovering following the largest disaster in the city’s history.


By PEGGY REVELL


“It’s been a hard fight, it’s been devastating, it’s been overwhelming,” said Arleen Groth, whose Bridge Street home was destroyed in the June flood. “The devastation I walked into that day, I can’t even describe it.”


This includes nine to 11 feet of sewage backup and overland flooding in the basement, some reaching the main floor.


Her home had numerous cracks, a door that barely opens, heaving floors, shifted walls, a destroyed foundation, even toxic mould.


Groth bought the house in 2000 and spent the decade renovating it.


The City told her it should be bulldozed.


“It’s like any kind of loss, you have to go through the stages,” she said, adding she’s not even sure what stage she’s at some days. It’s been the support of friends, family and her work that has kept her going — especially through the struggle of dealing with the province.


Insurance agreed to cover a large portion of the loss from sewer back up — but the Disaster Recovery Program (DRP) initially said there was no damage to her home at all due to flooding, that the damage must have been there before the flood.


Then they changed their tune, promising to pay for her house to be rebuilt.


After the flood, Groth and her 10-year-old son lived in a trailer in their driveway until moving into a fourplex on Nov. 1 with rent being covered by the government, although the first cheque didn’t arrive until Dec. 29 and the City ended up paying for November.


In planning the new home she was told by the province that mitigation measures were required — such as bringing the furnace, laundry room and all mechanical upstairs. Blueprints, elevation measurements and all the prepwork were completed and submitted to the province.


Then she was told lot was 20 feet off the flood’s fringe zone. The cost of the mitigation measures wouldn’t be covered.


Groth said she’ll be using her own funds instead.


Also not covered? The deck she lost, the driveway, landscaping and a garage the same size as her old one.


“It doesn’t make sense. What you lose should be covered,” she said, and she’s even unsure on whether the funds from the province will even cover the basic rebuild.


Moving to another part of Medicine Hat wasn’t an option, she said, as the amount the government offered wouldn’t have been enough to even buy the smallest available lot in the city to rebuild.


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NEWELL REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE 68 2014 REPORT ON SOUTHEAST ALBERTA


41149828•03/25/14


41148796•03/25/14


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