Alberta pays out flood victims, thousands still in limbo

Alberta has released an update on the province’s flood relief efforts, but thousands of homeowners are still waiting.

As of the Nov. 30 deadline, the province received more than 9,800 applications from homeowners and businesses, and nearly 4,000 disaster recovery payments were issued to applicants totalling close to $25 million.

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Numbers released Monday also show:

• More than 2,100 applications are on hold awaiting assessments from insurance companies. 
• More than 1,000 people still out of their homes and living in temporary accommodation.
• Of the 254 people who live in designated floodway zones, only 46 have so far agreed to take the buyout for the full amount of their last municipal property assessment to help with relocation costs. By last Saturday's deadline, another 55 said they were interested in the offer.

Among those waiting is Leah Ramsay, who decided to demolish her flooded house in Bowness last week. 

"It was in a way a relief just to have to deal with a piece of land now,” she said.

For now, she's staying in her sister's basement, waiting to hear what disaster relief she qualifies for.

Emma May, president of the Calgary River Communities Action Group, said frustration is deepening among Calgary's flood victims.

"These people are not back in their homes and it's five months later. We're coming up to Christmas,” she said. 

"They're still displaced. And they're … worried about their property value and they're worried about how they're going to make ends meet."