Insurance IQ
Under the Weather
With severe weather on the rise, make sure
you’ve got the right insurance coverage
By RoBin SchRoffel
Golf Ball-Size hail ,
gale-force winds,
extreme heat and cold, flash floods and
powerful tornados: Manitoba residents
are no strangers to extreme weather.
Unfortunately, climate change projec-
tions indicate that things are likely to
get worse.
According to the provincial govern-
ment, Manitoba will face earlier and
more severe climate change than many
other parts of the world—thanks to our
geographic location. So, exactly what
can we expect? Warmer and wetter
winters, coupled with longer, hotter
and drier summers. This, in turn,
means we’ll probably encounter more
aroUnd
the hoUse
how to mitigate
damage from extreme
weather events
frequent severe weather events: heat
waves, droughts, floods and intense
winter storms.
It’s a trend that CAA Manitoba’s
Melanie McGimpsey says is already
being reflected in property insurance.
“Historically, insurance is based on fire,
but it’s now becoming more weather-
related—wind, water and hail damage,”
says the property and casualty insur-
ance supervisor. “Weather has made a
huge impact on the trends of insurance
over the past few years.”
Each season brings risks for home-
owners. Severe winter temperatures
can freeze and burst pipes, especially in
insurance policies
aren’t meant for
maintenance, so if your
place is in poor shape to
begin with, your claim
could be denied.
store irreplaceable
items (photographs,
documents) off basement
floors and in sealed
waterproof containers to
avoid water damage.
areas with older infrastructure. Alter-
nating chills and thaws exacerbate ice
damming—the process whereby a ridge
of ice forms along the edge of a roof,
preventing water from draining and
potentially damaging a home’s roof,
ceilings and walls.
Spring tends to be a time of flooding
and storms. Floods have long been
part of local life, particularly along the
Red and Assiniboine river basins. First
Nations’ oral histories suggest major
flooding as far back as 1776; 1826 data
shows a flood that remains the Red
River’s worst on record. More recently,
flooding in 1950, 1997, 2006, 2009
and 2011 caused substantial damage to
homes and infrastructure.
Summer and fall typically bring tor-
nadoes. In 2018, eight twisters touched
down in Manitoba, including one rated
EF-4, the second-highest severity clas-
sification. In 2007, the community of
Elie was hit by the most severe tornado
in Canadian history, with winds reach-
ing up to 510 kilometres per hour.
Luckily, insurance can help protect
homeowners from sudden and acciden-
tal losses due to extreme weather. While
coverage for damages from hail and
wind comes standard in a homeown-
er’s policy, protection for water damage
does not. “In recent years, insurers have
introduced optional coverages that pro-
tect homeowners from overland flood-
ing, groundwater and sewer backup,”
says McGimpsey. (Rates are based on
postal code and the chance of a loss
happening in that area, so it’s not avail-
able in all areas.) Service-line coverage
is another product that protects home-
owners when a pipe freezes and bursts
after it leaves the home but before it
crosses the property line.
Whatever the weather, make sure
you top up your insurance coverage to
stay warm, dry and safe.
invest in flood-security
measures—a sump
pump and mainline
backwater valve—and
keep them in good
working order.
regularly inspect roof
shingles and foundation
for cracks and damage.
Water the foundation to
prevent cracking during
hot, dry summers.
cAA MANITOBA
SprINg 2019
23