Canadian Hail Insurance Claims Jump

SASKATOON - Jul 16/10 - SNS -- Hail insurance claims jumped over the past two weeks, particularly in Alberta and Saskatchewan, reports the Canadian Crop Hail Association.

"In many regions, hail adjusters are having difficulty accessing fields due to extremely wet conditions," the association says.

"Producers can assist adjusters by advising when all the damaged fields can be attended. In some cases, producers are providing ATV’s or four wheel drive trucks so that adjusters can see all the parts of damaged fields and this assistance is appreciated.

Until the last two weeks, storm activity in Alberta had been light. Claims have now increased from fewer than 100 to over 600. Claims are still somewhat below average, but that could change quickly.

The greatest number of claims to date is coming from a storm July 12 that saw golf ball size hail hit Drumheller South, Strathmore, Standard, Rockyford, Hussar, and Landon. The threat of tornadoes accompanied this storm and one was believed to have touched down near Rockyford.

Earlier storms hit many other areas of Alberta, but caused less crop damage.

As of mid-week, Saskatchewan claims to all the member companies of the Canadian Crop Hail Association totaled more than 3,200, up from only about 650 claims two weeks ago.

Claims are well above average for this point in the season. Last year at this time about 1,650 claims had been filed.

Over the past two weeks, there have been new claims filed for storms on nearly every day. There were big storms July 1 and July 2.

The July 1 storms hit south of Swift Current, an area in the southeast from Balcarres to Yorkton and Langenburg, as well as around Estevan. Claims from July 2 stretch all the way from Consul in the southwest to Kelvington in the northeast of the grain belt.

The July 12 storm that hit Alberta also hit areas of northwest Saskatchewan including Macklin, Luseland, Senlac and Denzil. Claim numbers are still being tallied.

Hail claims in Manitoba total just below 400, as compared to about 230 two weeks ago. This is significantly below average for this point in the season.

The majority of claims filed in the past two weeks have been as a result of thunderstorms July 13, with most of those coming from south of Darlingford to south of Roland.