St. Catharines declares state of emergency after heavy rainfall

St. Catharines, Ontario, has declared a state of emergency after a week of severe flooding caused by multiple storms and unusually heavy rainfall. Mayor Mat Siscoe said the city was hit by more than 140 millimetres of rain early last week and again on Sunday, with total rainfall across three storms approaching 400 millimetres in some areas. He said local roads, sewers and stormwater systems were overwhelmed, leading to damage at homes, businesses, city facilities and shoreline properties. The city’s emergency operations centre has been active since last Tuesday to coordinate response and recovery efforts. Crews are clearing catch basins, removing debris from waterways and assessing damage while officials prepare for more rain later in the week. The declaration also gives the city more authority to coordinate support and request help from provincial and federal governments. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the province is working with Niagara Region municipalities on flood recovery support.