Vanessa Big Eagle, a band councilor overseeing the residences of the Pheasant Rump Nakota First Nation, experienced extensive damage to her home due to severe weather. The community, located 160 kilometers southeast of Regina, had 23 out of 54 homes affected by the strong winds in May. Big Eagle’s own house suffered the most damage, with a significant portion of the roof blown off. Insurance claims have been filed for the impacted homes, many of which are still in need of repairs, resulting in one family having to seek temporary accommodation in a hotel.
Recent data indicates a surge in insured losses in Saskatchewan due to severe weather events, potentially leading to higher insurance premiums. Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. reported that Saskatchewan incurred a record $450 million in insured losses from significant weather events last year, the highest amount since the firm began collecting data in 2008. The extreme winds in June caused the most substantial insured loss in the province at $240 million, following the wildfires in the north last summer.
Laura Twidle, the president and CEO of Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc., highlighted the severity of the past two years in terms of insured losses. She emphasized that fires, which are covered by insurance, contributed significantly to the substantial losses experienced in Saskatchewan.
Professor Jason Thistlethwaite from the University of Waterloo stressed the potential impact on insurance premiums for property owners, even those whose properties were not directly affected by recent weather events. He emphasized the need for a shift towards preventive measures to reduce property damage risks, rather than solely focusing on post-disaster recovery efforts.
Repair companies in Saskatchewan, such as Leeway Mechanical Inc. and Fire & Flood, have reported an increase in demand for services to address weather-related property damage. Leeway Mechanical Inc. has seen a notable rise in requests to repair homes affected by extreme weather, including instances of basement flooding and roof damages. Similarly, Fire & Flood has observed a surge in calls for assistance with basement flooding, attributing the increased workload to this year’s weather patterns.