Adjusters assess damage after hailstorm strikes Calgary

Claims adjusters are beginning to respond to damage caused by a Calgary supercell storm on Sunday that brought high winds, heavy rain, and large hail. 

Preliminary assessments show the northwest region of the city experienced the most significant impact. Adjusters caution Canadian Underwriter that immediate reports of damage are only beginning to trickle in. 

“Our adjusters from the Calgary office are responding to new claims reports in the northwest area of the city as they are received from clients,” says Greg Smith, president of Crawford and Company Canada. “Reported damages include shredded vinyl siding and broken windows in some pockets.” 

Early images on social media and in news reports show storm damage to residential areas, with trees torn from the ground, toppled street signs, and toonie-sized hail stones. 

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) also warned of potential golf-ball-sized hailstones. 

Waiting game 

Claims adjusters report being prepared for an influx of claims that typically follows Cat events. 

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“While we have not seen a major influx in claim file assignments from the hailstorm in Calgary, we continue to monitor the situation and our local team of adjusters in Calgary are ready to respond immediately to support clients and those affected,” says Christine Segaric, director of catastrophe response for ClaimsPro. “Our Cat Response team remains in a state of readiness to respond quickly as needed should things become escalated.” 

Says Smith: “It is too early to assess how widespread the damage is, and extrapolate any loss estimates, until more claims reports are received.” That information, he says, will develop over the next 36 to 72 hours. 

In the meantime, adjusters are doing their best to understand the damage reported thus far.  

“The information we have is very preliminary at the moment, but we’re working through our post-event workflows now to ready capacity, while we connect with customers to assess their needs,” Smith says. 

“We are actively collecting information on the storm’s severity and mapping its path across Calgary to gain a clear understanding of the overall effects,” says Devin Shillington, vice president of national sales and Western Canada operations at Sedgwick.  

From early indications, he anticipates damage from this hailstorm event will be “considerably less” than the Aug. 5, 2024, storm that hit Calgary last summer. 

The August 2024 hailstorm resulted in an estimated $3.25 billion in insured losses, according to Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ). That figure grew from an initial post-event estimate of $2.8 billion and continues to grow, the Insurance Bureau of Canada said in February — a full six months after the event.  

The August 2024 storm is the second-costliest disaster in Canadian history for insured losses and resulted in more than 130,000 insurance claims. 

Storm incoming on Monday 

A tornado watch is in effect today across southern portions of Alberta, following the Sunday hailstorm. 

Localized flooding in low-lying areas is possible. Any severe storms that develop may also be capable of producing more damaging hail, heavy rain and strong wind gusts, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) says.  
 

Alyssa DiSabatino

Alyssa Di Sabatino has been a reporter for Canadian Underwriter since 2021, covering industry trends, market developments, and emerging risks.