Achi news desk-
Despite a dry winter for much of Canada, attention is turning to the risk of flooding as the country thaws and spring storms blow in.
Environment Canada warned of heavy rain sweeping most of southern Alberta and parts of Saskatchewan through Wednesday. Already this year, heavy rain prompted evacuations in New Brunswick as well as flooding in Quebec.
For those worried about flood damage to their property, experts suggest taking steps to protect against the effects of such extreme weather.
“Flooding is the most frequent and costly climate disaster we see across the country,” said Jason Clark, national director of climate change advocacy at the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
“Currently, there are 1.5 million households in high risk flood zones who do not have access to home flood insurance.”
A recent report by the Intact Center on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo said that between 1983 and 2008, insured losses in Canada averaged $456 million per year.
Since 2008, losses have increased and now regularly exceed $2 billion annually, primarily due to water-related damage. In 2023, Canadian severe weather damage exceeded $3 billion for the second year in a row.
The Okanagan and Shuswap area wildfires, BC, and the Nova Scotia floods were two major weather events that contributed significantly to the damage last year.
Along with the stress and damage that flooding can cause, it can also have a major impact on the value of real estate.
Another study that examined areas that experienced catastrophic flooding found that homes sold for an average of 8.2 percent less and were on the market for an average of 13 more days in the months following a flood event.
Steven Harris, licensed insurance broker and expert at lowrates.ca, said people wrongly assume that fire is the biggest risk to a house. “Water damage is by far the most frequent cause of loss, and it can be very serious as well,” he said.
How can you prevent flooding in your home?
The Intact Center has a simple three-step guide to cost-effectively prevent home flooding: keep what you have; complete simple upgrade; then complete a more complex upgrade.
Anabela Bonada, director of climate science at the Intact Centre, said that most of the measures in the first phase are things that families can do over a long weekend.
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“Clean your eaves, clean anything from your drains so they’re not clogged,” he said.
Many of the “maintenance only” measures can help prevent disaster.
“Make sure you clean your backwater valve if you have one. And check that your sump pump is working. Not many people do that and then a flood hits and their sump pump doesn’t work.”
He said knowing if your basement is at risk of flooding is key.
“You don’t want to get anything right on the floor in the basement. Put it up higher on shelves. If your basement floods, you could at least protect your property.”
Other steps, he said, will require some money.
“Install a backwater valve if you don’t have one. But also think if you are in a property that has enough space for you to have a rain garden. That is a great way to add greenery to your place and to reduce flooding that could enter your home. It also helps with extreme heat.”
But what can you do if you don’t have time to retrofit your home and a flood is on its way?
“There are lots of 72 hour kits online that you can look at. The Government of Canada provides a checklist of everything you should be packing,” Bonada said.
While some of these measures may seem expensive, Bonada said they are worth it in the long run.
“It’s a thousand or two to prepare your home for a flood, and it’s $43,000 lost if your home floods. And that’s exactly what you pay to bring your basement back to condition, but you’ve (also) lost everything that was in that basement. “
He said Canadians should consider the cost of taking days off work to deal with a flooded basement and the emotional cost of flood damage.
Harris, the insurance broker, said most basic policies offer protection against basic water damage, such as a burst pipe or a dishwasher leak.
“But we have different types of water covers,” he said.
Harris said these include sewer backups, which cause flooding caused by a block in plumbing or sewer overload; surface water damage, caused by heavy rain that accumulates and has nowhere to go; groundwater damage, which is when the water table is so saturated that the water enters your home through the basement floors and walls; and flood damage caused by swelling in a nearby body of water.
“My recommendation is to add to the coverage. But you can have that conversation with a licensed broker,” he said, adding that consumers must also choose their insurance company carefully.
“If you’re in an area where an insurance company has gone through a lot of claims, had a bad loss experience in an area, you may not have access to that coverage.”
The first step, he says, is to find out what the level of risk is in your area.
“During the last few years, flood maps have been available. If you’re … buying a house, you could do that due diligence and try to understand. ‘Okay, well, what is my exposure to water damage or flooding in certain areas?’”
The question Harris raised is at the forefront of many Canadians’ minds. A recent BMO report said 39 per cent of Canadians said extreme weather such as flooding could affect where they choose to live in the next five years.
The federal government said it plans to implement a long-promised national flood insurance program sometime next year, allocating $15 million in the 2025-26 fiscal year in its latest budget on April 16.
Clark of the Insurance Bureau of Canada said it would work as a partnership between private insurers and the federal government.
“Those households who are currently at too high a risk to access flood insurance in the private market (will) receive flood insurance directly through their existing providers. … They would then receive standard coverage,” he said. “That would be through the insurer and supported by the federal government.”
Bonada said cities should also require building bylaws to include more climate adaptation measures.
“Although it may cost more initially to make the buildings climate resistant, this is the saving in the long term when they are more resistant to the effects of climate as they progress. We are looking at buildings that have stood for a hundred years or more. So it’s a good investment.”
