Storms hit Manitoba, Newfoundland

Hail as large as baseballs caused more than $3 million in damage to vehicles in Manitoba, the province’s public insurer reports. A late summer storm wreaked havoc on car hoods, fenders and roofs, reports Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI).

Shortly after the storm, MPI established an emergency hail claim center to deal with more than 2,000 claims. MPI reports 1,500 claims were lodged the first day following the storm. “In order to respond to the extraordinary number of new claims, it was decided to establish this emergency center,” says Jack Zacharias, president of MPI.

Most claims average $2,500 to $3,000, but motorists will still be hit with deductibles ranging from $100 to $500.

Residents on the shores of Newfoundland also faced the wrath of nature as the remnants of tropical storm Gabrielle struck the Avalon Peninsula. The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) says the storm, which brought strong winds and more than 100 millimeters of rainfall, caused roads to be washed out, parks, schools and a mall to be flooded. Some homeowners watched as their basements literally filled with water.

While no estimate of damage has been given, the IBC notes that not all of the property damage may be covered. Damage caused from underground streams, the rise of the water table, overflow of rivers or lakes, or rainwater that comes in through basement walls, doors or windows, is not covered by typical sewer or sump pump policies, the IBC says. Insured losses in Florida as a result of Tropical Storm Gabrielle are estimated at US$115 million.