Around 70,000 insurance claims received since Aug. 9 in Quebec

Approximately 70,000 home insurance claims have been received by Quebec insurers since the torrential rains of Aug. 9, the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) said Tuesday, adding that unusual delays should be expected in processing claims.

Taking stock as claims continue to come in, the IBC said the number was “more than 10 times the usual volume.”

The IBC informed clients that the insurance industry is doing everything they can to respond as quickly as possible to claims, “despite inevitable delays in processing their files.”

The precipitation caused by Tropical Storm Debby reached 200 mm in 24 hours in some places. The Montreal, the Laurentians, Lanaudière and Mauricie regions were affected – a large part of southern Quebec.

The organization noted that the Aug. 9 rainfall came on top of three other major weather events in Canada within the span of a few weeks: forest fires in Jasper, torrential rains in Toronto and hail in Calgary.

“This is creating enormous pressure on the insurance industry and claims services that are working diligently to respond to this unprecedented flood of requests,” IBC said in a statement.

IBC recommends that disaster victims make a list of damaged property and attach photos, gather receipts for damaged goods and keep invoices for expenses incurred due to the disaster – such as living expenses and emergency work.

Premier François Legault urged disaster victims to turn first and foremost to their private insurer to claim the maximum amount provided in their insurance contracts. Depending on the case, Quebec could pay the difference in the bill for the work that was not covered by insurance reimbursements.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada estimated that extreme weather in 2023 caused more than $3.1 billion in insured damages in Canada.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews