Calgary Hailstorm Causes $2.6 Billion in Damages, 2nd Costliest in Canada

The August hailstorm in Calgary caused nearly $2.8 billion in damages, with claims from tens of thousands after baseball-sized hail damaged buildings, shattered windshields, and grounded over a dozen WestJet flights. The hailstorm that struck southern Alberta on Aug. 5 is now the second costliest disaster in Canadian history, following the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire, which caused around $4 billion in insured damages, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), citing Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. “Alberta’s insurers have been on the ground assisting customers with needed repairs and financial support, and working to process over 130,000 claims from the hailstorm. Rebuilding will take time and our industry will continue to be there to support impacted communities every step of the way,” Aaron Sutherland, IBC vice-president for Western and Pacific, said in a Sept. 11 press release....