As the fight against the flood continues, another battle lies ahead for many homeowners across the province.

Most insurance policies don't cover damage caused by flooding when a body of water overflows, which is why the government is stepping in to help.

At a public consultation in Ile-Bizard Monday night for victims of the flood, a lot of questions were posed about what can be compensated.

The public security ministry is holding these consultation sessions in hard-hit communities to go over the nuts and bolts of what is covered and how to make claims to financial assistance programs set up for these kinds of disasters.

Several hundred residents from Ile-Bizard gathered to find out what they can expect.

Here's what they're hoping for.

“Well we want the government to help,” said resident Helen Guilbault. “To which extent and how long will it take to get that money and to get our life back on track, it's a very uncertain time.”

At the meeting, they were told the first step is protect their belongings as much as possible from water damage - and they are eligible for up to $3,000 to cover the expenses of pumps, boards and other items used in this immediate effort.

Even the many hours spent doing this is eligible for compensation of up to $11.50 per hour.

Attendees were told to let their municipality know the extent of the damage of their homes.

They were also told that if evacuation is necessary, they will be covered after the fourth day, at a rate of $20 per day per person affected as well as $50 for clothing if the person is not able to take any with them in the evacuation.

Much more information on compensation was laid out in information packets given to attendees - but they will be required to fill out the forms necessary to determine if they're eligible – just a first step in what will be a long road.

In the meantime, the province, the city, and the city's firefighters have already made nearly $1 million in donations to the Red Cross, all of which will go toward the immediate needs of victims of the flood.

They're also encouraging others to give to the Red Cross emergency relief fund.