The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) has issued a statement outlining that the storm event that hit southern Ontario and Quebec between January 10 and 12 led to more than $95 million in insured damage.
Citing data from Catastrophe Indices and Quantification, IBC broke down the $95 million total, saying that $81.6 million of the insured damage cost was reported in Ontario, while $13.7 million was in Quebec.
At the time of the weather events, temperatures started to sharply increase in both southern Ontario and Quebec prior to the rainfall. Areas within Ontario, such as Windsor and London, reported heavy precipitation ranging from 60mm to 70mm of rainfall on January 10 and 11. Montreal would also see 40mm of rain during the same period. The freezing rain would later mix with ice pellets and snow.
It was this combination of frozen ground, snowmelt, and heavy rain which led to widespread overland flooding, sewer backups, and seepage, IBC stated. There were even reports of flooded-in basements and flooded roads, which led to road closures in southern Ontario and Quebec. Wind damage was also a factor – particularly in in the Niagara Peninsula, IBC noted – and it even kicked up storm surges which caused road closures in Fort Erie.
On top of the property damage the weather caused, the event also led to energy outages that left thousands without power.
“We continue to see the devastating consequences of severe weather events happening ever more frequently and with greater intensity,” commented IBC Ontario vice-president Kim Donaldson. “In particular, storms with severe winds that cause flooding are becoming more common.”
Donaldson added that although the insured damage from storm events is significant, their total economic cost to all stakeholders, the government, and to homeowners (in the form of personal loss) is “even greater.”
“It is important that property owners take precautions and protect their properties to minimize potential damage,” urged Donaldson. “They should also understand their insurance policies and know whether they have overland flood coverage.”
Earlier this year, the IBC reported that 2019 racked up a total of $1.3 billion in insured damage due to floods, rain, snow, and windstorms. Notably, the total damage cost for 2019 was evenly split across smaller severe weather events instead of through a major catastrophic event (such as a wildfire).
