Important information for claimants
Producers with claims are advised to use fax or email (or for some companies the phone) to get claim information to their insurance company or companies. In some cases, regular mail can take a week and there are cases where adjusters may be finishing in an area before the claim is received and processed. Producers should not follow up with regular mail as it only adds to the paper burden.
Harvest is underway in some regions. It’s important for producers to leave appropriate check strips or swathes if they need to harvest before an adjuster arrives. Producers should call their insurance company for information on what is required.
The progress of adjusters varies from one company to the next and one province to the next. Producers are asked to be patient as companies work their way through an above normal number of claims.
Storms continue in Saskatchewan
Nearly every night over the past two weeks, there has been hail somewhere in Saskatchewan. As of mid-week, the claim total was over 7,600 and rising. This is up from a total of less than 5,000 two weeks ago.
The level of claims is well ahead of last year and also ahead of the five-year average. To date, the storm with the highest number of claims affecting the largest number of acres was June 26, followed by July 3 and then July 21. Initial indications point to a large number of claims from a storm August 1 in the Lafleche region.
Storm dates and locations include:
July 18 – Humboldt, Annaheim, Quill Lake, Melfort, Naicam, Kelvington, Wadena, Preeceville
July 19 – Imperial, Kenaston, Yorkton
July 21 – Crane Valley, Shellbrook, Ogema, Benson, Midale, Weyburn, Choiceland, Ituna, Foam Lake
July 23 – Swift Current, Flaxcombe, Marengo, Abbey, Kerrobert, Eston, Smiley
July 24 – Assiniboia, LeRoy, Dafoe
July 25 – Lake Lenore, Watrous, Coleville, Denzil, Humboldt, Kindersley, Luseland
July 28 – Flaxcombe, Kenaston, Coleville, Watrous, Weyburn, Simpson, Imperial
With crops reaching maturity, storms at this time of year typically cause a great deal of damage.
Sizable jump in Alberta claims
Over the past two weeks, hailstorms have been spread throughout Alberta. The claim total has grown by more than a thousand to sit at well over 2,500. This number does not include crop insurance endorsements.
July 23 had numerous hailstorms throughout central Alberta with a storm tracking west of the QE 2 Highway from Olds northward. On July 26, the Cardston and Lethbridge areas receive golf ball or larger size hail causing extensive damage. July 27 had a similar storm with very large hail from Vulcan to Vauxhall. The same day hail damage was reported in the Airdrie, Taber and Foremost areas.
July 28 saw a storm track from west of Ponoka to Camrose and east with very heavy damage in the middle of the storm. On July 30, the Tofield area was hit very hard with large hail. Thorhild received hail damage as well. There were many smaller storms spread throughout the same time period. Tornado warnings accompanied many of the storms.
Hail activity slows in Manitoba
As of mid-week, the hail claim total for Manitoba was just over 2,300. Two weeks ago, nearly 1,800 had been filed.
Most of the new claims are the result of storms on two dates. On July 19, some fields in the Pilot Mound and Snowflake areas received hail for the second time this year. Additionally, claims were registered from areas near Manitou, Darlingford and Altona.
A larger number of claims were registered as a result of scattered storms on July 29. These claims are coming in from all over the province. Affected areas include Cowan, Sclater, Neepawa, Arden, Sanford, Starbuck, Beausejour, Morris, Arnaud, and Emerson.
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The Canadian Crop Hail Association represents the companies that sell crop hail insurance to producers in Western Canada. The Hail Report is released every second Friday during the hail season to provide information on storms, claims and related issues. The report is compiled by Kevin Hursh of Hursh Consulting & Communications in Saskatoon.
