Hurricane Fiona is estimated to have contributed to $660 million in insured damages in Canada, according to official estimates from Catastrophe Indices and Quantification. ."As we begin to see the extent of damages caused by Hurricane Fiona, it is clear that much more needs to be done to enhance our resilience to extreme weather events and build a culture of preparedness moving forward," said Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) Vice-President Amanda Dean in a Wednesday press release. ."Climate change is real, and the fatalities, emotional turmoil and financial consequences we've witnessed must be a call to action — we must prioritize the protection of all Canadians from the impacts of climate change.".The release said Hurricane Fiona is the most costly extreme weather event ever recorded in Atlantic Canada and the tenth largest in Canada for insured damages, surpassing the 2011 Slave Lake wildfire. .Millions of Canadians started to brace for Hurricane Fiona Sept. 23 as it hurtled towards Atlantic Canada in what was regarded as a historic storm for the area. .READ MORE: Atlantic Canada battens down as 'historic' storm cascades towards region."It's going to be a storm that everyone remembers once it's all said and done,” said Environment Canada warning preparedness meteorologist Bob Robichaud. .Hurricane Fiona hit the area Sept. 24 as a hurricane-strength post-tropical storm. Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Quebec were placed under severe weather warnings. .While the estimated $660 million in insured damage is a record-breaking figure, the release said many affected residents were located in high-risk flood areas and floodplains where residential insurance coverage is unavailable. It said the overwhelming majority of costs for Hurricane Fiona will be borne by governments..The province seeing the most insured damages from Hurricane Fiona was Nova Scotia at $385 million. In Nova Scotia, damage to trees was widespread, with numerous large ones falling on cars and buildings in Halifax. .Cape Breton Island and Pictou County saw significant damage, including extensive flooding, roofs torn off buildings, roads washed out, and storm surges. Power outages affected 415,000 customers in Nova Scotia, leaving about 80% of people without power..The province coming in second place for damages was Prince Edward Island ($220 million). Damages included houses being moved off their foundations by storm surge and roofs being torn off buildings by wind. .Trees and power lines were damaged or snapped across Prince Edward Island, leaving 82,000 customers without power. This accounts for 95% of total customers on the island. .Subsequent to Prince Edward Island were New Brunswick ($30 million), Quebec ($11 million), and Newfoundland and Labrador ($7 million). .Insurance claims from severe weather have more than quadrupled across Canada since 2008. The average for insured damages in Canada reached $2 billion per year. .IBC said Canada must prioritize working on a national climate adaptation strategy, including a high-risk flood insurance pool, to address natural disasters. It said increased collaboration across the public and private sectors is essential to protect Canadians.
