New survey data from First Onsite Property Restoration shows flooding as the dominant summer storm concern for Canadians, with six in 10 (61%) fearing severe rain and flooding and seven in 10 (72%) concerned about climate change-related weather. For brokers and insurers, the more actionable reading is in the regional variation - which points directly to where overland flood, sewer backup and weather endorsement conversations are most likely to find receptive clients heading into peak storm season.
British Columbians are far more likely than other Canadians to worry about flooding, at 70%, and landslides or mudslides, at 41% - a profile that reflects both the province's terrain and its recent history of atmospheric river events. Residents of Manitoba and Saskatchewan report the greatest concern about tornadoes, winds and severe storms, at 54%, with Alberta close behind at 48%, consistent with the Prairie provinces' elevated severe convective storm exposure. Atlantic Canadians stand apart in their concern about hurricanes and tropical storms, at 63%, more than double the national average - a figure that reflects the region's direct exposure to late-season Atlantic systems. Quebec and Atlantic Canada lead the country in climate change-related weather concern, both at 76%, while Ontario residents report high concern across flooding at 63%, tornadoes and severe storms at 49%, and climate change-related weather at 74%.
Those regional patterns are a direct map of where endorsement conversations carry the most immediate relevance - and where the coverage gap the survey's flooding concern reflects is most acutely felt.
An estimated 1.5 million Canadian households sit in areas considered too high-risk for private overland flood insurance, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, leaving many homeowners reliant on provincial disaster assistance programs that typically fall short of full replacement value. Ottawa pledged $450 million over five years for a national flood insurance program to backstop coverage in the highest-risk areas, first promised in 2019 and most recently targeted for an April 2026 launch. As of mid-2026 the federal government has not confirmed a delivery timeline. That unresolved gap keeps overland flood and sewer backup endorsements, alongside risk assessment and mitigation conversations, central to how brokers and insurers approach clients heading into peak storm season - and the regional concern data gives those conversations their specific geographic priority order.
The survey lands against a well-established pattern of escalating weather losses. CatIQ recorded insured damage from severe weather totalling more than $2.4 billion in 2025 - the tenth costliest year on record and a relative reprieve after 2024, when losses surpassed $8 billion for the first time in Canadian history. IBC has noted that annual insured losses from catastrophic weather and wildfires totalled $37 billion between 2016 and 2025, nearly triple the $14 billion recorded in the prior decade, with claims volumes nearly doubling over the same period. Environment Canada's summer outlook points to above-normal temperatures across much of the country, with heat and humidity expected to raise the risk of severe thunderstorms capable of bringing hail, flooding and, in some regions, tornadoes.
"Every summer storm is different, but the damage often escalates quickly. Water intrusion can happen within minutes, wind damage can compromise roofs in a single event, and once systems fail, costs rise rapidly," said Jim Mandeville, senior vice president at First Onsite Property Restoration. First Onsite has published a Severe Weather Management Guide with preparedness and recovery guidance for businesses and property owners.
The survey was conducted by Angus Reid on behalf of First Onsite Property Restoration.
