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Canadian homes aren’t prepared for catastrophes: University of Waterloo study

WATCH ABOVE: What 2019 holds for housing market – Dec 8, 2018

A coast-to-coast study finds Canadians aren’t keeping up with the need to protect their homes against catastrophic events made more common by climate change.

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The study from the University of Waterloo points out that insurance claims from weather-driven problems like floods have more than quadrupled over the last decade _ even after taking rising real estate prices into account.

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The study from the university’s climate adaptation centre adds that the number of homes that are uninsurable for flood risk is also beginning to grow.

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It says there are a range of easy, inexpensive measures people can take to keep their homes dry.

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They can be as simple as ensuring rainspouts drain far enough away or installing a sump pump with a backup power supply.

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The study found that less than 10 per cent of eligible homeowners take advantage of municipal flood-proofing grants.

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