Insured damage costs rise to $522M for spring flood in Fort McMurray

EDMONTON — An April flood that led to the evacuation of several northern Alberta communities caused more than half a billion dollars in insured damage.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada says the cost of the flooding in Fort McMurray has risen to $522 million from an initial tally in June of $288 million.

Officials say the increase comes from updated figures on the flood’s impact on commercial property, personal property and automobiles.

Several communities, including Fort McMurray and Fort Vermilion, had to be evacuated after nearby rivers spilled their banks due to massive ice jams.

About 13,000 Albertans were forced from their homes.

The flooding was one of several extreme weather events in Alberta this year, which also included a $1.2-billion hailstorm in Calgary in June, wind damage in Edmonton in July and another hailstorm in Calgary on July 24.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Aug. 4, 2020

The Canadian Press