Canadian Red Cross launches 2026 Ottawa Floods Appeal to support flood-affected residents

Belongings damaged after a storm on Canada Day flooded basements are seen on lawns to await disposal, in the Qualicum – Graham Park neighbourhood of Ottawa, on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

The Canadian Red Cross is accepting donations to help residents impacted by flooding in the City of Ottawa, two weeks after record-breaking rain flooded thousands of basements in the city’s west end.

The Red Cross launched the 2026 Ottawa Floods Appeal campaign on Thursday to provide support to those impacted by flooding as part of the partnership between the agency and the city in the aftermath of the flooding.

“Donations to the Canadian Red Cross will be used to provide assistance to those impacted by the flooding in and around the Ottawa area with immediate and ongoing relief, recovery, and resilience efforts in response to the floods, as well as community preparedness and risk reduction for future all-hazard disaster events within Ottawa and the surrounding area,” the Canadian Red Cross said in a statement.

“Funds will also be used to support mobilization of response and community partners.”

• Full extent of Canada Day flooding in Ottawa took days to learn, city staff say

Some areas of Ottawa received more than 150 millimetres of rain in a five-hour period on July 1, as a series of thunderstorms moved across the national capital region.

As of Thursday, the city has received over 6,200 reports of basement flooding, mainly in the wards of Bay, College and Knoxdale-Merivale, and over 100 residents have been placed in temporary housing.

People in Ottawa and across Canada wishing to make a donation to the 2026 Ottawa Floods Appeal can do so at www.redcross.ca or by calling 1-800-418-1111.

The Canadian Red Cross says its staff have been at City of Ottawa information hubs in flood-affected communities to distribute clean-up kits and recovery information to “help residents begin the recovery process.”

“In addition, the Red Cross is providing personalized recovery assistance to individuals and families, helping them assess their needs, understand available resources, plan their return home, and make informed decisions,” the Red Cross said.

The Canadian Red Cross launched the campaign as disaster relief organizations move into some of the hardest-hit communities following the flooding.

Samaritan’s Purse is setting up a base camp in the city and will begin deploying crews this weekend.

• Major disaster relief organizations move into Ottawa two weeks after Canada Day floods

The City of Ottawa said on Thursday afternoon that recovery-focused information sessions with city staff and partners such as the Canadian Red Cross, St. John Ambulance, and the Nepean, Rideau and Osgoode Community Resource Centre would be held on Friday at Maki House, 19 Leeming Dr., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and at the Nepean Sportsplex, 1701 Woodroffe Ave., from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. A third session will be held on Saturday at Ben Franklin Place, 101 Centreponte Dr., from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

City staff say these info sessions will be different from previous sessions, and are encouraging residents who attended response-related sessions to come back for the recovery-focused ones. Topics will include community health and resource centres, information on counselling and wellness supports, health and safety advice for cleaning flooded homes, insurance and case management experts, financial assistance and grant programs, and waste disposal.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said he was “very pleased” that the Red Cross agreed to launch the 2026 Ottawa Floods Appeal to support residents recovering from the “devastating July 1 flooding.”

“Every donation will help Ottawa families as they continue the difficult work of cleaning up, rebuilding, and recovering,” Sutcliffe said.

“Thank you to the Canadian Red Cross, our community partners, and everyone who is able to lend a hand. If you would like to support the families recovering from the flooding, please donate.”

On Wednesday, Council approved a series of motions to help flood-affected residents, including endorsing a partnership with the Canadian Red Cross to augment the city’s recovery. The motion directed City Manager Wendy Stephanson to work with the Red Cross to execute an agreement for the services, at a cost of no more than $400,000 for up to six months.

The city said on Thursday afternoon that more than 1,000 people have applied for the Compassionate Grant Program, which provides a $1,000 payment to a residential property owner or tenant affected by basement flooding due to sewer surcharging. On Wednesday, city council waived the restriction on applying for the grant more than once every five years.

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