Between the fire and the flood, frustration is rising for thousands of residents of Fort McMurray, Alta.
For most of May, 80,000 residents in the area were evacuated because of a raging wildfire that destroyed 2,400 homes and other buildings.
Then last weekend, the municipality re-activated its emergency operations centre to deal with flooding that submerged basements and knocked out roads.
Many from the community say they still haven't been told if or when they will be allowed to return to their homes, or start rebuilding where their homes were destroyed by wildfire.
In Abasand, where a number of homes were destroyed, most of the debris left behind has not been cleaned up and property owners say they don't know when the city will allow rebuilding work in their neighbourhood to start.
In addition, many homeowners said their insurance policies only guarantee to cover the cost of building a new home if it's built within one year.
“I understand there are safety issues, I understand there are environmental issues, I understand that we need to go by those things,” said resident Sandra Legacy.
“People throughout Canada think Fort McMurray is back to normal. We are so far from normal.”
Meanwhile, in parts of the three hardest hit neighbourhoods, Abasand, Beacon Hill and Waterways, where the homes are still standing, residents have been allowed to go in and out as they please, but haven't heard when they will be allowed to stay for good.
“We're adults, we can take the direct answers,” said Jennifer Skinner. “We're not children, and that's all we are asking for.”
A spokesperson from the Municipality of Wood Buffalo told
CTV News in a statement that residents can start rebuilding once the chief medical officer of health lifts a restriction that is currently in place.
However, there is no timeline for that.
The spokesperson also said there is no timeline for residents to return to homes that are still standing, which are under the same restriction.
Canadian Press
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