Communities in Innisfil, Kawartha Lakes, Little Britain, Manilla, Lindsay, and Lake of Bays were also impacted by July 15 tornadoes
The six EF-2 strength tornadoes that hit Barrie, Innisfil, Kawartha Lakes, Little Britain, Manilla, Lindsay, and Lake of Bays on July 15 caused $75 million in insured damage, according to initial estimates from Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ). The tornadoes resulted in 10 injuries, 71 uninhabitable homes and over 2,200 insurance claims for damage to personal and commercial property.
“Our thoughts are with those whose lives have been disrupted and whose homes have been destroyed,” said Kim Donaldson, Vice-President, Ontario, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC). “We’re beyond thankful that this storm did not lead to any loss of life, which is the most important thing. Homes, cars and businesses can be replaced and fixed, but the same cannot be said of lives.”
“Canada’s insurers are here to help residents recover and rebuild from this loss,” Donaldson continued. “Anyone who has been impacted by this event, or with questions about their home, auto or business insurance, should call their insurance representative or IBC’s Consumer Information Centre at 1-844-2ask-IBC. We’re here to help.”
Damage caused by wind 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.
“Insurers have been in the community since day one, working hard to help their clients throughout the entire claims process, and will be there until all policyholders have been looked after,” said Donaldson. “Your insurance representative is on your side and is committed to helping you through this devastating event.”
The tornadoes that hit Barrie and other communities on July 15 are a sobering 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 our 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.
