Hurricane Larry caused $25 million in insured damage
HALIFAX, NS, Oct. 27, 2021 /CNW/ - Hurricane Larry, the first hurricane to make landfall in Newfoundland and Labrador since 2010, brought intense winds to the eastern half of the island on September 11, 2021, causing $25 million in insured damage, according to initial estimates from Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ). The storm, which reached Category 3 at its peak, lashed the island with sustained winds near 100 km/h for several hours as it passed through the region. It did a significant amount of damage around St. John's, knocking down trees and power lines, damaging structures and leaving roughly 60,000 customers without power.
"As we've seen in the past, a hurricane can cause extensive damage regardless of its category. Our thoughts are with those whose lives were disrupted and whose homes were damaged. With the storm so fresh in our minds, it's a good time to review ways make our homes more resilient to these types of weather events, and to also check our home and auto insurance policies to ensure that we know what coverage we have," said Amanda Dean, Vice-President, Atlantic, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC).
Damage caused by wind and rain is typically covered by home, commercial property and comprehensive auto insurance policies. IBC reminds residents that the insurance industry is committed to assisting its customers throughout the entire claims process for this and any other severe weather event.
Hurricane Larry is a reminder of the increasing risk facing communities across Canada. IBC continues to advocate to governments at all levels on the urgent need to do more to prioritize investments that build our resilience and better protect families and communities from a changing climate. Canada must develop a comprehensive plan to close governance gaps and improve climate defence overall, including enhancements to the current building code to protect against severe wind events. IBC is committed to working closely with the private sector and governments to improve Canada's preparedness for, and resilience to, severe weather events.
The amount of insured damage is an estimate provided by CatIQ (www.catiq.com) under licence to IBC.
About Insurance Bureau of Canada
Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is the national industry association representing Canada's private home, auto and business insurers. Its member companies make up 90% of the property and casualty (P&C) insurance market in Canada. For more than 50 years, IBC has worked with governments across the country to help make affordable home, auto and business insurance available for all Canadians. IBC supports the vision of consumers and governments trusting, valuing and supporting the private P&C insurance industry. It champions key issues and helps educate consumers on how best to protect their homes, cars, businesses and properties.
For media releases and more information, visit IBC's Media Centre at www.ibc.ca. Follow us on Twitter @IBC_Atlantic or like us on Facebook. If you have a question about home, auto or business insurance, contact IBC's Consumer Information Centre at 1-844-2ask-IBC.
SOURCE Insurance Bureau of Canada
Vanessa Barrasa, Manager, Media Relations, IBC, 416-550-9062, [email protected]
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