Weather‑related disaster response in Quebec is shifting from predictable, seasonal events to year‑round catastrophes that are increasingly difficult to manage, according to restoration specialist First Onsite.
“Before, there was more predictability in the weather events, or it was more seasonal,” said Jonathan Santamaria (pictured), commercial operations manager at First Onsite, in an interview with Insurance Business.
“We can see an increase in unpredictability and out-of-the-ordinary, catastrophic events, or flood or heavy rain that overflows the drainage system of the city.”
Santamaria said the change has been noticeable over roughly the past half‑decade.
He linked the shift to a combination of climate change, population growth, and aging urban infrastructure.
“Climate change is a big part of it for sure, but there's also an increase of population in the city, and infrastructure is getting old,” he noted. “There's a combination of a couple of things that make it more unpredictable. We don't have the same winter that we had five or 10 years ago. So that also makes a big difference.”
The impact is being felt most acutely in Quebec’s urban centres, especially Montreal, where concentrated populations, older systems and heavy rainfall are converging.
“We need to have more response capacity at any moment of the year,” he said.
He said the issue is particularly pronounced in Montreal but applies more broadly. One result is a spike in sewer back-ups when drainage systems are overwhelmed.
Santamaria said the trend is most visible in Montreal, which concentrates roughly a quarter of Quebec’s population and where drainage and sewage systems are already under significant strain. When intense rain hits, these systems are quickly overwhelmed, leading to widespread sewer backups and surface flooding.
He added that other Quebec cities face similar capacity limits, leaving urban areas exposed when heavy downpours occur outside the traditional storm season.
For insurers, the shift translates directly into higher frequency and severity of losses.
“There are more claims, more costs, the premiums increase, there are delays in the rebuilding process, and more interruptions of the commercial activity,” Santamaria said.
Those pressures are altering how restoration companies respond on the ground, Santamaria said, adding that restoration businesses “have to assess more quickly, more accurately, and on a larger scale.”
Santamaria described time as the defining factor in how expensive and disruptive a loss becomes.
“The more you wait, the more it costs, the more the scope is growing,” he said.
Despite rising risk, Santamaria said many homeowners and businesses still lack even basic preparedness, which drives up the ultimate cost and duration of a claim.
On the commercial side, rapid organizational change often leaves response plans out of date when a catastrophe hits.
“In commercial work, the main preparedness gap is that the response plan and the contact list are not up to date," he said.
Basic building information is also frequently missing, slowing down remediation work.
Asked whether any particular sectors are doing significantly better or worse, Santamaria said the gaps are widespread, with only marginal differences by industry.
“This is across the board, for sure, but there are some lines of business that are better prepared because they have more capacity. Retail and healthcare are good examples of businesses that are more prepared," he said. "But it's not perfect.”
Survey data shows Quebec residents expressing similar levels of concern about flooding, extreme heat, extreme cold and wildfire smoke, in the 60%–67% range, with more than 70% worried about climate change overall.
Santamaria said higher concern levels have not yet translated into concrete preparedness measures.
“Information is more accessible than it was before. The statistics are more up-to-date, and the data show that people’s awareness has grown. But that didn't translate to action or preparedness, or a plan of action. So, yes, they are more aware, but I think we are at that point where we need to be more in prevention than in reaction,” he said.
