Summer storms cause more damage in Alberta than all other Canadian provinces combined, according to new numbers released by the Alberta Motor Association.
More than $5 billion in insured damage related to severe summer weather has occurred in Alberta between 2010 and 2017. The wind, hail and rain-related flooding accounts for more than 61 per cent of all storm-related insured damage done in Canada during the same time period, the AMA said Thursday.
“Alberta suffers more damage from storms than all the other provinces combined,” the AMA said.
Two out of three major hail storms in Canada occur in Alberta, according to the AMA. The two most damaging storms in Canadian history have happened in Calgary. On July 12, 2010, a storm caused more than $400 million in damage. Back in 1991, another Calgary storm resulted in about $340 million in insurance claims.
“Albertans are being affected more and more by storms, but we’re not sure that they’re always aware of how much risk there is for their properties or vehicles to be damaged,” said Ted Koleff, vice president of claims for the AMA.
“We want people to understand how much damage severe weather causes in Alberta so they can take steps to make sure it doesn’t happen to them.”
READ MORE: Initial damages in Red Deer storm pegged at $150,000
The AMA said the average hail claim on a vehicle in Alberta costs about $5,000 to fix.
Ways to prevent summer storm damage include parking your vehicle in a garage or under a covered structure and tying down lawn furniture. The most important thing, according to the the AMA, is to know when severe weather is on the way.
“We’re encouraging our friends across the province to take steps to get weather alerts on your phones, through your apps or in your email, so you can be prepared when a storm is on the way,” Koleff said.
READ MORE: Thunderstorms drop massive hail on parts of central Alberta
The AMA said the amount of insured damage done between 2010 and 2017 is more than four times the amount of damage done from 2002 to 2009, and that takes into account inflation.
Watch below: Global News coverage of wild weather throughout Alberta in 2017 and 2018
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Thunderstorm sweeps across southern Alberta on Thursday -
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