Severe Thunderstorms cause damage to homes across Ontario: What consumers need to know about insurance

TORONTO, June 17, 2014 /CNW/ - Violent thunderstorms with heavy rains and strong winds crossed southwestern and southern Ontario late Tuesday. Thirty homes were damaged when a tornado hit Angus, just west of Barrie, Ont. A state of emergency has been declared for the Township of Essa, which includes Angus.

Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is informing consumers about what they need to know if their property was affected.

"First, make sure your family is safe," said Ralph Palumbo, Vice-President, Ontario, IBC. "Any property damage to homes and personal property will likely be covered by home insurance policies. Ontario's home, car and business insurers will be there to help residents and businesses recover from this storm," he said.

Consumers should contact their insurance representative as soon as possible to discuss coverage and deductibles and to report damage claims. To facilitate claims processing, homeowners should document all property losses. And, if safe to do so, they should protect their property from further damage.

IBC reminds consumers that:

• Most home and business insurance policies will cover damage caused by wind, including broken windows and removal of debris.
• Auto policies cover wind damage if comprehensive coverage has been purchased.
• Marine insurance policies will usually cover damage to boats from wind.
• Homeowner's and tenant's policies usually provide coverage for additional living expenses if a home is uninhabitable resulting from an insured peril.

Affected residents can also call IBC's Consumer Information Centre in Ontario at 1-800-387-2880 for answers to insurance-related questions.

About Insurance Bureau of Canada

Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is pleased to celebrate 50 years as a valuable resource for insurance information. Since 1964, IBC has been working with governments across Canada to make our communities safer, championing issues that directly affect Canadians and the property and casualty (P&C) insurance industry. IBC is the national industry association representing Canada's private home, car and business insurers. Its member companies represent 90% of the P&C insurance market in Canada. The P&C insurance industry employs over 118,600 Canadians, pays more than $7 billion in taxes and levies to the federal, provincial and municipal governments, and has a total premium base of $46 billion.

To view media releases and other information, visit the media section of IBC's website at ibc.ca. Follow IBC on Twitter @InsuranceBureau or like us on Facebook.

If you require more information, IBC spokespeople are available to discuss the details in this media release.

SOURCE: Insurance Bureau of Canada

To schedule an interview, please contact: Steve Kee, Director, Media & Digital Communications, Insurance Bureau of Canada, 416-362-2031 ext. 4387, [email protected]