Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) says severe storms that hit Manitoba and Saskatchewan in June caused at least $728 million in insured damage.
The storms brought large hail, tornadoes, strong winds and torrential rainfall that led to widespread property damage and flash flooding across both provinces.
Manitoba took the brunt of it. Manitoba Public Insurance got more than 30,000 claims, a record for a weather event in the province.
The previous record dated back to 1996, when a major hailstorm generated approximately 24,000 claims.
The province was struck again later in June by another powerful storm system that caused widespread flooding across the Parkland Region, adding to the damage already sustained earlier in the month.
Heavy rainfall also caused the Assiniboine River to rise rapidly around Brandon over the past week. City officials said the community’s dike system has continued to hold, and water levels have now begun to recede, reducing the immediate flood risk.
The latest figures highlight the growing financial impact of extreme weather events across Canada’s Prairie provinces as communities continue to recover from a series of destructive storms.
