Severe rainfall brings flood of homeowner claims to Atlantic Provinces

Post-tropical storm Hanna soaked the Atlantic provinces on Sept. 7, leaving more than 100 mm of rain in some parts of the area. Counties along the Fundy Coast of New Brunswick and Newfoundland were the hardest hit, as embedded rain bands brought intense rainfalls of 25 to 30 mm in an hour, Environment Canada reports. The highest accumulation was reported in the Saint John area, with 143 mm of rain at the airport and 141 mm at Point Lepreau. Parrsboro, NS reported 104 mm of rain, while Harrington, PEI reported 96 mm. Wind gusts were reported upwards of 80 km/hr, according to Environment Canada. Halifax saw 55 -75 km-h winds, while St. John saw 56 km-h winds. Twillingate had winds of up to 81 km-h, the release notes. There were numerous reports of flooding and road washouts in southern New Brunswick. Fred Plant, president of Plant Hope Adjusters Ltd., reports that his company received 68 claims on Sunday alone, with more coming in on Monday. Many of the claims are in homes with basement flooding. “We are very proud of the extra effort our adjusters have put into responding to this difficult situation,” Plant says. “People only get to see the value of their home insurance when a loss occurs. When so many losses occur at once, it is a challenge to keep the service level high, but we have to. We do not want to miss any opportunity for our [insurance companies] to show their best stuff.”