Overview of Red Cross Assistance for the 2019 Spring Floods:
- Emergency Food and Lodging Services
Emergency food and lodging services are provided in support of local authorities and according to their guidelines. Our volunteers and staff are always available to guide you through the process and assess your needs as well as to refer you to appropriate resources, namely the assistance programs offered by the Ministère de la Sécurité Publique and by community partner agencies.
- Direct Financial Assistance and Recovery Assistance
Thanks to the generosity of its donors, the Red Cross is providing assistance to those impacted by the 2019 spring floods to supplement the assistance being provided by the government and insurance companies.
This includes financial assistance for homeowners and tenants whose residence suffered substantial damage, assistance for those affected by the disaster who need professional mental health support, and exceptional humanitarian assistance for individuals who are extremely vulnerable, to meet specific, one-time needs.
An overview is available in PDF format. The people affected by the flooding must contact the Red Cross to verify their eligibility.
- Donor Update
The Red Cross publishes regular updates regarding the assistance provided thanks to donations from individuals, businesses and the government. The most recent publication provides an overview of our activities as of June 30, 2019. The next update will be provided in October. As of June 30, 2019, before the announcement of the recovery assistance program, 5,100 families had already received financial assistance totalling over 3 million dollars. The money is still being distributed every day and all funds raised will be used to help the people affected by the 2019 Quebec spring floods.
Every time an emergency appeal is launched to help people impacted by a disaster in Quebec, an advisory committee is set up to ensure that the assistance provided matches the actual needs of vulnerable people and needs that will emerge over time.
This committee, which includes representatives from the Ministère de la Sécurité Publique, from local health and social services authorities, from the affected communities, from local community organizations and from the Insurance Bureau of Canada, supports the Red Cross in the management and coordination of the funds.
The Red Cross is a humanitarian organization that helps those who are most vulnerable. Red Cross assistance is complementary to assistance being provided by the authorities (avoiding duplication) and is not designed to replace losses.
How do I receive the additional financial assistance provided by the Red Cross?
You must contact a Red Cross caseworker to book an appointment for a telephone interview so that he or she may carry out an assessment of your needs and determine your eligibility. To do this, please call 1 800 863-6582 from Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
If you already have a date and time for your phone interview with a caseworker, please make sure to have your Red Cross file number at the time of the call.
We will contact you once your file has been processed. This could take several weeks due to the significant number of files currently being processed.
The indemnity program administered by the Ministère de la Sécurité Publique includes a departure allowance for people affected by the disaster whose primary residence was destroyed or has suffered major damage.
Red Cross recovery assistance is intended specifically for those affected by the disaster who suffered substantial (not major) damage. According to the information collected as part of our needs assessment, they will not be eligible for the Ministère de la Sécurité Publique departure allowance but will be eligible to receive funds for their home repairs. The aim of Red Cross financial assistance is to reduce the financial burden of the deductible on the funds allocated by the Ministère de la Sécurité Publique.
To learn more about the Ministère de la Sécurité Publique indemnity and financial assistance program,
click here.
The damage assessment carried out by a Red Cross caseworker will determine whether the affected individual or family has suffered substantial or major damage. According to the assessment criteria used by the Red Cross, damage is considered major if the residence has been rendered uninhabitable due to damage to essential rooms or to the overall infrastructure, therefore compromising the health and safety of the occupants.
An individual assessment of each case is essential because numerous details are taken into account: extent of the damage (water level, number of essential rooms affected, scope of the repairs, state of the foundation, etc.), the family’s urgent needs, eligibility to the government indemnity program and, for those who are insured, any support provided by the insurance company. We assess your specific needs in order to provide the appropriate assistance.
To find out more about the assistance provided by the Ministère de la Sécurité Publique, you can visit
their website or call 1 888 643-2433, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. as well as Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
*Please note that a government support desk is open for an indeterminate period at the
Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac Community Centre for those affected by the floods who wish to meet, by appointment, with a financial management analyst regarding their claim.
No, Red Cross recovery assistance for tenants and homeowners who have suffered substantial damage is intended for people who are not eligible for the Ministère de la Sécurité Publique departure allowance.
As part of the recovery assistance program, the Red Cross also provides:
- Assistance for those affected by the disaster who need professional mental health support.
- Exceptional humanitarian assistance for those affected by the disaster who are extremely vulnerable, to meet specific, one-time needs.
The Canadian Red Cross aims to supplement assistance being provided by the government in order to avoid duplicating existing support, therefore, helping those who are most affected.
For any questions regarding your file or eligibility, please call 1 800 863-6582, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The Red Cross works closely with the authorities and adapts its assistance programs in accordance with government-implemented indemnity programs in order to avoid duplicating any allocated assistance. As the government’s criteria and indemnity programs have evolved between the 2017 floods and the 2019 floods, Red Cross financial assistance was modified based on these changes in order to supplement assistance provided by the authorities.
Assistance is allocated based on several factors, which is why each claim must be analyzed individually and the documents required for this individual assessment may vary from person to person. For example, in the case of a tenant, our caseworkers need a copy of your lease to determine the difference between the amount of your old rent and the current amount.
In addition, an individual assessment of each case is essential because numerous details are taken into account: extent of the damage, the family’s urgent needs, eligibility to the government indemnity program and, for those who are insured, any support provided by the insurance company. The Canadian Red Cross wishes to assess your specific needs in order to provide you with the appropriate assistance.
For your telephone interview, make sure to have your Red Cross file number as well as your Ministère de la Sécurité Publique file number, if possible.
The documentation requested from beneficiaries may include the following:
For homeowners:
- Property assessment OR
- Proof of ownership (property title) OR
- Proof of mortgage (if applicable)
For tenants:
- Lease OR
- Letter from the landlord
After your telephone interview, please email the documents requested by the caseworker to:
QCinondations2019@croixrouge.ca
The fastest way to follow up on your appointment is to call our team directly at 1 800 863-6582, weekdays, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
The assessment of your file is definitely underway and, like every other claim, it will take several weeks. Rest assured that we will contact you by email or by phone when it is done. Thank you for your patience.
If you are eligible, you will receive the financial assistance by electronic transfer. This is the preferred payment method as it is the fastest and most flexible.
If you do not have an email address or do not have access to online banking, please notify your caseworker so that an alternative payment method can be arranged.
Every time a new appeal is launched in response to an emergency affecting one or several communities, an advisory committee is created in partnership with the local community. Committee members advise and support the Red Cross in the management and coordination of funds. Together, they ensure that the money is distributed in the most efficient way and that the assistance provided meets the needs that have been identified.
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