While Calgary bore the brunt of the July 13 hailstorm that caused close to $92 million in insured damage, Airdrie has also seen several dramatic storms this summer. On Aug. 7, heavy rain caused temporary flooding on select streets and in low-lying areas, along with large hail that covered lawns and streets.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) said Thursday the Calgary hailstorm damage estimate comes from Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ), with vehicles accounting for 65 per cent of all claims.
“Insured damage from hailstorms in Alberta over the past five years now stands at $6 billion,” Aaron Sutherland, Vice-President, Pacific and Western, IBC, said in the release. “Continued rebuilding on this scale is unsustainable and will put pressure on premiums until more is done to build resilience that prevents hail damage in the first place. We know what's required – better building codes, financial support for retrofits, and enhanced risk mapping and warning systems. It's time for a national conversation on how we can make these changes a reality to better protect Canada's communities moving forward.”
Airdrie, like Calgary, sits within Canada’s “Hail Alley,” a region long known for frequent and damaging hailstorms.
Last week, CatIQ released its one-year update on the damage caused by the Aug. 5, 2024, Calgary hailstorm, which caused more than $3.2 billion in insured losses. IBC said that storm was the costliest hailstorm — and the second costliest natural disaster — in Canadian history.
Including last month’s hailstorm, Alberta has experienced at least one major hailstorm every year for the past two decades, resulting in more than $11 billion in insured damage. The past five years alone have accounted for $6 billion of that total.
“These hailstorms are not isolated, one-off incidents – they reflect a clear and troubling pattern that demands action through public policy,” Sutherland said. “It's far past the time to have a serious conversation about the extent of repeated hail damage, specifically in Calgary, and the urgent need to consider resilience measures and adapt more effectively to our new weather reality.”
IBC reiterated long-standing calls for action in Calgary, including:
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Reviving Calgary’s Resilient Roofing Rebate Program, which provided financial assistance for homeowners to retrofit roofs against hail damage.
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Mandating hail-resistant roofing and siding for all new construction in high-risk areas.
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Improving hail notification services so residents can better prepare and move vehicles before storms arrive.
The bureau also urged governments nationally to:
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Halt construction in high-risk flood and wildfire zones.
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Invest in high-risk communities to ensure they are FireSmart and better protected from flooding.
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Help homeowners understand local risks.
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Subsidize retrofits to reduce flood and wildfire damage.
It also repeated calls for a federal coordinating agency to lead emergency preparedness and recovery, noting every other G7 country has one.
IBC said more than half the claims from July’s hailstorm — about 65 per cent — were for vehicles, underscoring pressure from severe weather on Alberta’s “already strained” auto insurance system.
The release said Alberta’s government has frozen or capped auto insurance premiums for three years, the longest such intervention in Canadian history. In 2024, insurers in the province paid out $1.20 in claims and expenses for every $1 in premiums collected.
“This is not sustainable,” Sutherland said. “Alberta's auto insurance system is in crisis. The government must remove the rate cap and ensure the Care-First reforms are implemented effectively – especially by reining in legal costs, as promised. IBC continues to work with the government to get the details right. Without meaningful change, consumers will face fewer insurance coverage options and growing frustration.”
The CatIQ estimate adds to more than $11 billion in insured hail damage in Alberta over the past two decades.
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