Devastating weather caused millions in damage across province

When Maj, Henri Regamey saw the brown flood waters that had swallowed much of the town of Maple Creek in mid-June, he immediately felt the stress of the community.

It was a feeling with which he would become familiar in the coming weeks.

The town looked more like a lake than a peaceful southern Saskatchewan community of about 2,600 people, he recalled, and it was in a state of emergency.

Regamey, the Salvation Army’s disaster relief co-ordinator, canvassed residents’ flooded homes, offering them help in any way possible.

After nearly two weeks in Maple Creek, he briefly returned home to Saskatoon, only to receive a call that his services were now needed in Yorkton, which was under a state of emergency following a severe storm.

With a pump and two dehumidifiers in the back of their truck, Regamey and his wife headed to Yorkton and stayed there for two weeks, providing services for residents displaced from their flooded homes.

Regamey, who has spent 32 years with the Salvation Army in various parts of Canada, had never seen anything like it in Saskatchewan.

"I don’t know if I can handle another summer like that," said Regamey, who has assisted with disaster relief in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina and New York after 9/11.

"You can have 200 homes damaged in either Regina or Saskatoon and it’s pretty devastating, but it’s different when it’s 200 homes in a small town. It’s like half or three-quarters of the town, so it’s a little bit more hair-raising."

All told, it was one of the worst summers for severe weather in Saskatchewan. Few areas went through the warm months without at least one major downpour while others were devastated by weather.

Across the province, more than 175 municipalities were designated for disaster assistance.

Following a soggy spring, the severe weather began in mid-June when the Maple Creek area received more than 100 millimetres of rain.

Then, on July 1, a severe thunderstorm rumbled through Yorkton, dropping 60 mm to 100 mm on the city in less than an hour.

The following day, an F3 tornado ripped through the Raymore area and the Kawacatoose First Nation, severely damaging more than 20 homes.

The severe storms caused water levels at Good Spirit Lake to rise more than one metre higher than normal, resulting in overland flooding at Burgis Beach and Good Spirit Lake Provincial Park.

July storms also caused widespread flooding in Saskatoon and North Battleford, which were soaked by 85 mm and 67 mm of rain, respectively, from a single storm.

"The prairies were wet and cool, but nobody can match what Saskatchewan had," said Environment Canada climatologist David Phillips. "I think what was impressive was the variety of weather conditions. From one corner of the province to the other, there was no relief. It’s almost a litany of misery, hardship and misfortune, and it all came in one season."

Tornados damaged homes, lifting some off their foundations. Many basements were filled with water and sewage, and water crept into the main levels of houses.

SGI has received about 8,500 weather-related property claims in the province this year worth about $72 million. It also has received 11,500 weather-related auto claims worth $23 million.

Wawanesa Insurance has received about 3,000 weather-related property claims worth $40 million. That compares to 25 claims worth about $1 million in 2009.

"It’s extremely high compared to last year," said Earl Cameron, vice-president of claims for SGI. "Last year, there were virtually no storm claims in Saskatchewan. This year is one of our worst."

Cameron also explained some claimants, to maintain coverage, might have to install valves to prevent sewer back-up — which can be costly — or agree to pay higher deductibles on future claims.

So far, around 3,200 claims have been submitted to the government-run Provincial Disaster Assistance Program (PDAP) with almost $7 million being paid out so far.

Tom Young, the executive director for protective and emergency services in the Ministry of Corrections, Public Safety and Policing, which oversees PDAP, estimates the program probably dealt with that many claims combined in its first 30 years of existence.

In past years, the average household claim has been around $3,000. This year, Young said, there are still several such claims but others are much larger. In August, the provincial government increased the maximum payout under PDAP from $160,000 to $240,000.

"People have used words like ‘unprecedented’ and they’re right on," said Young.

With so many people looking to sort out so many claims, some are feeling caught in the middle of PDAP and an insurance company.

Many feel that PDAP has not been quick enough to sort out final payments after offering up-front cheques worth $3,000 for those affected by disasters.

Young said some steps have been taken to move things along, including bringing in extra building inspectors and claims adjusters. He also noted that full payments have been given out to those in Maple Creek whose mobile homes were completely destroyed.

Recovery efforts continue to take place in some communities, with the Red Cross set up in Maple Creek, Yorkton and North Battleford.

It has provided things such as food, equipment and rent money. More than 150 volunteers devoted more than 3,600 hours of time setting up shelters and handing out about 3,000 clean-up kits to help families.

As to what caused the wild weather this year, Phillips said there is no simple explanation. The severe storms were simply more frequent and slow moving than usual.

While record rainfalls were set in some areas of the province, Phillips said it wasn’t the worst summer in terms of the amount of rain.

"There has been worse years for hail or flooding situations or tornadoes, but when you look at the whole ball of wax, it’s hard to imagine a more interesting and crippling kind of year," said Phillips. "It’s the summer you just want to forget."