Topic Catastrophes
B.C. adds $180 million to help communities prepare for natural disasters
February 22, 2023 by Dirk Meissner - THE CANADIAN PRESSVICTORIA – Premier David Eby says he’s introducing more supports to better prepare British Columbia communities for natural disasters related to climate change before they happen. “The last few years have taught us a hard lesson about the impacts of…
Is Canada seeing more tornadoes every year?
February 14, 2023 by Jason ContantCanada saw 117 recorded tornadoes across the country during the 2022 season, tying 2021 for the highest-ever single season on record, according to the Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP). As with 2021, 29 of the tornadoes reached up to EF2 on…
Is there a better coverage solution for flood plain residents?
February 14, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatinoWhen insurers recommend consumers pack up and move from their flood-prone homes, it’s easier said than done. That’s why the industry needs to come up with better resilience solutions and more efficient claims response to protect the customers most impacted…
It’s time to address Canadian adjuster mobility, claims experts say
February 10, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatinoDeveloping and effectively using the pool of Canadian claims adjusters for catastrophe response is a problem that continues to keep adjusting firms up at night, experts told a CatIQ Connect panel on Wednesday. “Most people don’t realize that seven of…
Why atmospheric rivers, derechos and bomb cyclones are on insurers’ radar
February 9, 2023 by Jason ContantWild and wacky weather events like atmospheric rivers, derechos and bomb cyclones may seem new because of recent media coverage, but they’ve been known and named phenomena for quite some time in the history of meteorology and atmospheric science, speakers…
Ontario’s new approach to emergency response
February 7, 2023 by Jason ContantOntario’s government will launch a ‘provincial exercise program’ to create, review and update new provincial emergency response plans and test whole-of-government emergency response, the province announced Friday. The provincial exercise program is part of Ontario’s first-ever Provincial Emergency Management Strategy…
Extension covering “influx of water” trumps broad form flood exclusion
February 6, 2023 by David GambrillA commercial property policy extension granting coverage for an “influx of water derived from natural sources” trumps a policy’s broad form flood exclusion, Alberta’s Appeal Court has found in a 2-1 split decision. A bowling alley in Fort McMurray, Alta.,…
Aviva Canada CEO on brokers’ role in climate change mitigation
February 6, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatinoBrokers and insurers both said natcats and climate change will be the second biggest issue heading into 2023, according to a Canadian Underwriter survey last month. But one group is more vocal about climate change than the other, one CEO…
What a Canadian public earthquake backstop might look like
January 31, 2023 by David GambrillA federal government backstop designed to help private insurers cover high-risk flooding could be extended to protect Canadians from earthquake risk as well, Canada’s home, car and business insurers suggested in a release Tuesday. Meanwhile, in the absence of a…
Meteorologist explains why future NatCat claims won’t get any better
January 27, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatinoAs the climate warms, even predictable weather patterns — like El Niño and La Niña, which are affected by rising sea temperatures — are changing alongside the climate, a weather expert warns. And that could mean more frequent and severe…
How Canada’s insured cat losses stack up globally
January 25, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatinoSevere weather made 2022 the third costliest year on record for Canadian insurers, and the fifth costliest year globally, said a report this week from Aon. These events point to a severe gap in insurance protection in some parts of…
How adjusters can benefit from putting consumers in control of their claims
January 19, 2023 by Jason ContantWhen severe weather events take place, not everything can be fixed overnight. There are only so many contractors and thousands of homes will likely need repairs ranging from major to minor. “It comes down to triaging and putting the insured…