Parts of Ottawa, Renfrew County have qualified for disaster relief funds after flooding

Some of the communities across central and eastern Ontario among the hardest hit by spring flooding are now eligible for disaster relief funds, the province announced Friday.

• Flooding prompts Prince Edward County to declare a state of emergency

Many ofthe municipalities inRenfrew County, portions of Ottawa alongside the Ottawa River, and townships in Minden Hills have been approved for Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians, the provincial arm of the program.

Heavy rains and already high water levels in the Great Lakes contributed to flooding in both Ontario and Quebec in the past weeks, prompting the federal government to send in 1,200 military personnel to the affected areas, including Montreal.

Other communities have declared states of emergency, including several along the shoreline of Lake Ontario in Prince Edward County in order to qualify for the funding.

Ontario's ministries of municipal affairs and community safety acknowledged that Prince Edward County had been affected by the flooding, noting that the province is still assessing the effect of the flooding and whether other areas will qualify for disaster relief assistance.