Severe storms that tore through Western Canada on August 20 and 21, caused over $235 million in insured damage, with Alberta suffering the largest share, according to Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ). Damage to vehicles alone accounted for roughly a third of the losses in the province.The storms brought large hail, powerful winds and torrential rain along a path from southern Alberta across Saskatchewan and Manitoba, with tornadoes confirmed in both Alberta and Saskatchewan. Communities hardest hit included Brooks, Alberta; Radisson, Langham and North Battleford, Saskatchewan; and Portage la Prairie, Manitoba.“Many people in the path of this devastating storm had their lives disrupted and property damaged,” said Aaron Sutherland, Vice-President, Pacific and Western, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC). “Insurers continue to help residents and businesses recover and rebuild and ensure every claim is resolved.”Summer 2025 proved eventful across Western Canada, with wildfires and hailstorms causing roughly $725 million in insured losses. This includes the July 13 Calgary hailstorm that caused $164 million in insured damage and wildfires in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, including La Ronge, Flin Flon, Lac du Bonnet and Shoe, that caused roughly $360 million in losses..IBC has long urged governments to take steps to protect Canadians from natural disasters, including mandating hail-resistant roofing and siding for new construction in high-risk areas, tightening building codes, providing resiliency incentives for homes and businesses, improving hail notifications, supporting wildfire preparedness plans, and prioritizing nature-based fire prevention measures.A significant portion of Alberta’s August storm claims involved vehicle damage, highlighting pressures on the province’s auto insurance system. Auto insurers paid out $1.20 in claims and expenses for every $1 earned in premiums in 2024, after three years of government-mandated rate caps. This has forced some insurers to leave the market, making coverage harder to secure.Sutherland called on the Alberta government to remove rate caps and fully implement Care-First reforms, which aim to restore competition and affordability. “Consumers are feeling the impact of an auto insurance system in crisis,” he said. “The government must remove the rate cap and rein in out-of-control legal costs to deliver a better, more affordable system for Albertans.”The $235 million figure is an estimate provided by CatIQ under licence to IBC.
