Storms that hit Western Canada this summer are expected to have resulted in more than $300 million in insured damages, according to data from Catastrophe, Indices, and Quantification. ."Our thoughts are with those whose lives have been disrupted and whose homes have been damaged,” said Aaron Sutherland of the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) in a Tuesday press release. .“Canada's insurers are always here to help residents recover from these storms.”. Saskatchewan TornadoThe Saskatchewan tornado on July 7, 2022 .The release said thunderstorms in Alberta and Saskatchewan from July 7 to 8 led to more than $30 million in insured damages. .Environment Canada issued two warnings after a tornado touched down near Madison, SK, during the thunderstorms. .READ MORE: Tornado touches down in Saskatchewan.“It was later in the day,” said meteorologist Brad Vrolijk. .“We’ll be following up in the area today to see if we get more information as to if it actually impacted anything, if there’s any damage or anything like that.”. Regina FloodingRegina Ring Road flooding on July 19 2022 .The release said a series of thunderstorms bringing heavy rain, large hail, and damaging winds across the Prairies from July 15 to 17 contributed to more than $70 million in damages. .Regina residents woke up to multiple street closures because of these thunderstorms, which caused flash flooding in different parts of the city..READ MORE: Regina residents woke up to flash flooding from a heavy rainstorm.The rain flooded streets, underpasses, and parts of the Ring Road, closing several of the major traffic arteries through Regina..Many roads looked like swimming pools, delaying people heading to work..IBC said a thunderstorm system heading across Western and Central Canada from July 18 to 21 led to severe weather causing more than $100 million in damages. .Tornadoes were confirmed in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. Large hail, heavy rain and flooding occurred at points in between. .Reports of damage to homes, other structures, trees, and power lines stretched from Southern Alberta to Quebec's Gaspe Peninsula. .The release went on to say thunderstorms from the Canadian Rockies to central Prairies from July 29 to 31 saw more than $40 million damages. .At least two tornadoes were reported, and there was large hail and flooding. .Severe thunderstorms bringing large hailstones in central Alberta from August 1 to August 2 cost more than $55 million. .Several storm cells produced wind gusts at speeds above 100 km/h and heavy rain and flooding. Storms drifted as far east as Saskatoon in two days. .Multiple cars were damaged along Highway 2 in Alberta, and properties in the Prairies were wrecked. ."The July and August storms are a sobering reminder of the increasing risks facing communities across Canada,” said IBC vice-president Craig Stewart. .“While the longer-term impacts of the climate crisis must be addressed, considering the increasing number of near-daily extreme weather events already occurring across Canada, we cannot wait to limit the impacts of climate change.".Insurance claims from severe weather have more than quadrupled across Canada since 2008. Insured catastrophic losses in Canada reached $2 billion annually. .In the past 10 years, five of the most costly severe weather events happened in Western Canada, totalling greater than $8 billion in damages. Alberta has experienced more severe weather events this decade than any other province.
