Tornadoes likely covered as wind damage by most policies, says Insurance Bureau

More frequent weather events in the national capital region will likely mean higher insurance premiums, but that’s an issue faced by communities coast to coast, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

In recent years, the Ottawa area’s been battered by a flurry of storms, including last year’s derecho, six tornados back in 2018, and now one in Barrhaven that ripped shingles from roofs and left windows shattered Thursday afternoon.

“These natural disasters are becoming bigger and more expensive in terms of insured losses,” said Anne Marie Thomas, the bureau’s director of consumer and industry relations. “Claims are increasing. Claims costs are increasing. And it just makes sense that that could translate into higher premiums.”

Losses from natural disasters annually averaged around $675 million between 2001 to 2010 in Canada, she said. Those losses jumped to an average of $2 billion over the next decade, and soared last year, topping $3.1 billion.

Ottawa not alone, says Insurance Bureau

According to the bureau, no single major weather event is likely to raise premiums for an area, but other factors like inflation, supply-chain disruptions and labour shortages can also push them up.

And while premiums could rise for the region, that’s the case for much of the country, she said, whether from wildfires in the west or hurricanes in the east.

Thomas added tornados wouldn’t be specifically spelled out under most policies, but the policies would cover damage from wind, including flying wind debris and fallen tree branches.

“It would also cover a loss to your home and contents from water entering your home because something flew into your roof or a tree fell on your house.”

City officials believe at least 125 homes were damaged during Thursday’s tornado: roofs and shingles ripped off, broken windows, downed trees.

Down at Everbloom Lane on Friday, roofers were already at work.

“Mostly it’s siding, facia, soffits and shingles,” Rashad Jawhary, who works for a roofing company, said of missing roof elements.

His company has seen a spike in calls since Thursday’s tornado, with damage estimated to range from hundreds to thousands of dollars, he said.

“It’s going to take a little bit of time to get all things in order. I would say at least one to two months,” he said.

‘No one was hurt. That’s the important thing’

Area residents Cory Papineau and Miranda Lepore are staying with family until they receive the green light from a structural engineer saying their home is safe to inhabit again. They visited the house Friday to pick up a few items.

“Based [on] the severity of the damage and how there’s the roof exposed, the windows are broken, our framing inside is exposed — those things warrant there to be [enough] concern for a structural engineer to come out and assess themselves,” Lepore said.

The couple has started their insurance claims but don’t know how long it will take before their home is repaired.

“It’s going to take a long time to get everything back to normal and to do the repairs,” said Papineau, who had sheltered in his basement during the storm.

“But no one was hurt. That’s the important thing.”