On Thursday, July 15, 2004, residents of Peterborough woke to mass flooding across the city caused by extended periods of torrential rainfall. On Monday, July 15, 2024, the City of Peterborough organized an event along the banks of Jackson Creek to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the flood.
“In the span of around 10 hours, parts of the city received up to 220mm of rain, an unprecedented amount of water that we were not prepared to deal with,” which caused around $100 million in damage, says Michael Papadacos, Director of asset management and capital planning at the City of Peterborough.
Jeff Leal is the current mayor and was an MPP at the time of the flood. He was joined yesterday by former mayor, Sylvia Sutherland, to talk about their experience leading the emergency response, and reflecting on its lasting effect on the community.
