Insured damages from August B.C. storm estimated at over $25 million

Insured damage arising from a windstorm Aug. 29 in British Columbia probably exceeded $25 million, Insurance Bureau of Canada suggested in a release Tuesday.

Quoting from Toronto-based Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc., IBC said a preliminary estimate of insured damage from the storm, which swept through southern B.C., is more than $25 million.

“The storm affected Metro Vancouver and surrounding areas, bringing rain and strong winds that toppled fences, trees and power lines and left hundreds of thousands without power,” IBC stated. The storm also closed businesses and attractions, including Stanley Park and the annual Pacific National Exhibition.

IBC reported earlier that a storm July 21-22, affecting Alberta and Saskatchewan, caused insured damage estimated at more than $230 million. That estimate came from Verisk Analytics Inc.’s Property Claims Services unit. The July storms included a tornado sighted north of Priddis, near Calgary, with hail the size of golf balls reported in Calgary itself.

Also in Alberta, a storm Aug. 4 was estimated to have caused more than $100 million in insured damage, IBC reported, also quoting from PCS.

In Ontario, storms June 22 are estimated to have caused more than $30 million in damage, IBC reported at the time, quoting from CatIQ. Heavy rain cause localized flooding in Toronto and in parts of London, the rain overwhelmed the sewer system. Properties affected included White Oaks Mall in south London.