It's been nearly a year since the floodgates opened on Rafferty Dam to more than 200 cubic metres per second (m3/s) – a mark that seemed impossible when the dam was constructed two decades ago.

Hundreds of people would be placed on an evacuation alert – warned that they could be forced to flee their homes at any time. And while a few did have to leave their homes, most were able to stay.

The common refrain in the southeast from mid-April – when water releases started on Boundary Dam – to mid-June was "It appears the worst is behind us."

The worst was yet to come. It would create destruction that few could have imagined, and it would create images and memories that nobody will forget.

Water releases from Boundary and Rafferty soared in the final days of spring, peaking at 780 m3/s on June 22. Homes that were spared from the previous rounds of flooding, including the majority of the houses in Roche Percee, would not escape the river's wrath this time. Anybody who lived in close proximity to the river would have their homes destroyed by the water.

Eventually, the rain stopped, the flood waters receded and the recovery process began. Even though it seemed like the flooding lasted a very long time, everything happened in the span of a little more than two months. The process of rebuilding was going to require much more time.

Unfortunately, flood victims have had to worry about more than what they lost in the floods, or where they would build their new homes. They have also had to go through the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program (PDAP).

Many people are still waiting to find out how much they will receive from PDAP. Assessors have come in, calculated the value of lost properties and possessions, and returned to Regina. So many flood victims have been left in limbo.

Those who have received an offer from PDAP have been flustered by the amount. Some have appealed PDAP's offer. 

It's not just flooded-out residents who are waiting for their money. Municipalities, organizations, businesses and many others affected by the floods of 2011 are still longing to get their money.

Obviously, due to the amount of flooding – not just in the southeast, but around the province – people can't expect a rapid delivery of flood cheques. And they realistically can't expect full reimbursement for their losses.

But the delays, and the inadequate PDAP offers, have only compounded the frustration and the pain of so many people.

The government said last year that they had made changes to expedite the claims process, and to increase the payouts. People in Roche Percee, the RM of Estevan and other municipalities would likely scoff at such statements.

And so they continue to suffer nearly a year after the flooding has subsided.