Flood victims navigate insurance process to file damage claims

Northerners dealing with damaged property due to widespread flooding this spring are also navigating the insurance process as they file claims.

People in northern Ontario dealing with property damage due to flooding are also navigating the insurance process as they file claims.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada said this week that the number of claims filed connected to spring flooding across Ontario won’t be known for another month.

Anne Marie Thomas, the bureau’s director of consumer and industry relations, said flood victims should record all damage and keep receipts connected to cleanup.

“The more information that you can provide your insurance company about your situation -- whether that’s photographs, video, receipts -- the more quickly an insurance company can settle your claim,” Thomas said.

But the most important thing is to check whether your insurance policies cover water damage.

“Not all claims will be the same, but insurance companies will get to them as quickly as possible,” she said.

Adam Smith met with his insurance adjuster in-person Thursday to assess the damage at his business, Jake’s Home Centre in Mindemoya, in Central Manitoulin Township.

The creek overflowed into the streets of the town last week, forcing the municipality to declare a state of emergency.

Despite sandbagging efforts, water made its way into the basement of Smith’s business, destroying hundreds of thousands of dollars in products stored there.

Smith said cleanup crews were sent almost immediately.

“We actually went so far as to start removing some sandbags today, so that’s a step in the right direction,” he said.

“Every day is an improvement and the cleanup process has started.”

Challenges in rural communities

But Smith said one of the reasons for the on-site visit with the adjuster was to see the challenges that come with living in a rural community.

“We’re not half an hour away from a major centre, so a lot of the decisions are being made in places that don’t really know where Manitoulin Island is,” he said.

“So they’ve got to be able to show that logistics are a little bit challenging.”

It’s unclear when Smith’s insurance claim will be paid out.

“We’re still in the early stages, even just figuring out what’s salvageable, what’s not salvageable, so it’ll be a while,” he said.

However, Smith is optimistic about the situation, saying that anything destroyed by the flood can be replaced.

He said he’s appreciative of the help and support he’s received from residents in Mindemoya and across Manitoulin.

Thomas said being under a state of emergency has no bearing on someone’s insurance coverage, but it could affect a customer getting new coverage.

“Insurance companies might say not right now, let’s wait and see what’s happening because you can’t buy coverage during or after an event and expect it to cover the event,” she said.

“It has to be in place prior to the event happening and at the time of the event in order to get coverage.”

Anyone with questions can reach out to the Insurance Bureau of Canada consumer information centre at 1-844-227-5422.