Recent Ontario thunderstorms cause $80 million in insured damages

A band of powerful thunderstorms that hit parts of Ontario stretching from Hamilton to Ottawa over two days in July has resulted in an estimated $80 million in insured damages.

The preliminary estimate is being reported by Property Claim Services Canada (PCS-Canada), a service that tracks insured losses arising from catastrophic events in the country, notes a statement from the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC). Data collected by PCS-Canada confirm that claims have been filed for damage to homes, cars and businesses in the wake of the storms on July 22-23.

IBC notes the thunderstorms spawned fierce winds, heavy rains, flash flooding, golf ball-sized hail and unconfirmed reports of tornadoes.

In the Ottawa area, there were power outages, fallen trees, downed traffic lights and power lines, with reports of homes sustaining roof damage, automobiles damaged by hail and broken windows and trees falling on homes and businesses, the IBC statement adds.

In Hamilton, the city and surrounding area was inundated with an estimated 66 millimetres of rain on July 22, resulting in road closures, fallen tree limbs and approximately 50 calls about basement flooding. The majority of calls related to basement flooding involved surface water volume, the city reported at the time.