Montreal-Barrhaven storm declared a Cat

The storm that hit Montreal on Thursday, downing trees and power lines and causing localized flooding, has been declared a catastrophe, Laura Twidle, president and CEO of Catastrophe Indices & Quantification Inc. (CatIQ) told Canadian Underwriter. 

A ‘catastrophe’ is an event that has caused more than $30 million in insured damage.

The storm system swept across Eastern Ontario and Quebec on July 13, causing multiple tornadoes to touch down. Between 50 to 100 millimetres of rain fell in the Montreal area, equivalent to a month’s worth of rain, Environment and Climate Change Canada estimated. 

More than 392,000 Montreal hydro customers lost power on Thursday, although fewer than 2,000 remained without power as of Sunday, Hydro-Quebec said.  

Although it’s too soon for damage estimates, Twidle said insurers can expect to see flood damage claims, including sewer backup and basement seepage. “They have lots of underground shopping and commercial [properties in Montreal]. So, when there is [a storm], their metro stations [can] flood.” 

The Alexis Nihon Shopping Complex in Montreal was reported to have experienced flooding. Twidle said some shops may experience damaged goods and electrical equipment.  

Plus, some auto policyholders may experience water damage. Highway 20 was closed in both directions due to flooding. 

“It’s also possible that parking garages [may have flooded], just being that they’re further underground,” Twidle said. “Any vehicle with comprehensive coverage would include that kind of flood or water damage.” 

Adjusters have started to see claims come through, and the sheer volume is having an impact on adjuster capacity. 

“To date, we have received about 110 files, with more coming in daily,” Shelley Landry, vice president of operations for Eastern Canada at Crawford & Company, said in an email statement.

“We have also received confirmation now that [Autorité des marchés financiers] are lifting licensing restrictions, so we are coordinating assistance for our clients at this time.”

This system hit less than two weeks after parts of Quebec were hit with heavy rains, triggering flooding and landslides. The two storms, however, are not related, Twidle said. 

Barrhaven tornado

The tornado that tore through Barrhaven, a suburb outside of Ottawa, is a part of the same system that swept through Montreal on July 13, Twidle said.  

About 125 homes were damaged by the tornado which totalled fences, blew out windows and ripped off roofs. 

But adjusters have not seen many claims come through for the Barrhaven tornado. “There has been little to no frequency so far from the Ottawa Tornado,” said Brian Hambly, vice president of operations for Ontario at Crawford & Company said early on Tuesday.  

“Two tornadoes touched down in the south Ottawa suburb of Barrhaven last Thursday. More than 100 homes were damaged,” he added.

Storm clouds move across the sky as Environment Canada issued tornado warnings Thursday, July 13, 2023 in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi