Ontario/Quebec Storm May 2022

updated 05/30/2022 1:00 pm

On Saturday, May 21st a serious storm affected much of Ontario and Quebec. This storm has been described as a “derecho”, a powerful kind of windstorm that is long-lasting and far-reaching. With widespread damage and our own power being affected at our office, our phone system was down, but as of 8:00 am May 25th, it is once again functional.  Insurance companies are also doing their best to keep up with the demand but phone lines are certainly backed up due to the number of people sustaining damage.

I am seriously affected ─ my house or business is seriously damaged?

If your safety is at risk, immediately call 911! Only if it is safe to do so, do what you can to safely prevent further damage to your property. Take lots of pictures and keep all receipts for necessary expenses. Contact your Rhodes & Williams Insurance Broker at 613-226-6590 or 1-888-391-8379. If you are unable to get a hold of us, or it is outside of our regular business hours, visit www.icrashed.ca for insurance company direct contact numbers. If neither of those work, try calling 613‑232‑7100 for Crawford Adjusters who will do their best to help you.

Am I Covered?

Damage to homes caused by hail or wind is generally covered by a standard homeowners insurance policy. This includes damage caused by flying debris or falling branches. This would also generally include damage to your home and its contents when water enters through openings as a result of wind or hail damage. Keep in mind that your deductible will apply in most situations so if you anticipate your loss being close to the amount of your deductible, you may want to consider the impact of the loss of any claims-free discounts before submitting your claim.

In certain circumstances, homeowners who are unable to live in their homes because of the insurable damage are entitled to additional living expenses. This coverage would be found under a comprehensive homeowner’s policy and is meant to respond in this type of event.

I have been impacted, but less seriously?

Take care and stay safe! Depending on how badly you are impacted, see comments in the section above. If it is not serious, keep notes and receipts, take pictures and contact us in a couple days if it can wait, if not, see above. We will be trying to triage emergency situations over the next couple of days.

Statement from Insurance Companies

Check company sites for most recent update

• Intact Insurance – If you have been impacted by the recent weather events, we are here to help. We are experiencing unusually high call volumes. For all non-urgent claims, we invite you to submit them via Client Centre or the app. For any emergency, please call us at 1-866-464-2424.
• Aviva Insurance – Aviva is working hard to help customers in the wake of the major storms across parts of Ontario and Quebec. We continue to see very high call volumes and we appreciate your patience as we work to process your claim. Priority service is on the claims with the worst damage and those where further damage could occur.
• Chubb Insurance
• Economical Insurance – Our claims teams are standing by and ready to support customers affected by the recent severe weather. Please contact us using our 24-hour emergency claims number below to report any urgent claims: 1-800-607-2424. We are currently experiencing an increase in calls, leading to significant delays in our response times.

• CAA Insurance
• Gore Mutual – If you have been impacted by the recent windstorms in Ontario, we are here for you. If you need to start a claim, please contact us at 1-844-974-GORE (4673). Press release: Insurer knocks on doors of customers hardest hit by recent derecho storm in Ontario
• RSA Insurance
• Commonwell Mutual – Member Alert:   If you have been impacted by the recent weather events of May 21st, please note The Commonwell is here for you. If you have already reported a claim, please note we are triaging the claims based on potential risk to safety and will respond to you as soon as possible.   Please do not call in for an update until after May 27th as it may take that long to assign and call out on the volume of claims we are receiving. If your home is currently uninhabitable due to the damage and you need to speak with someone urgently and have already submitted a claim, please call and speak with your broker who will be able to escalate the matter for you.  To submit a claim, please call 1-855-436-5883 or email [email protected] providing as much information as possible, including contact and policy number.
• Travelers Insurance
• Wawanesa Insurance – The storm in Ontario and Quebec has caused significant damage for some customers. Your well-being is important to us and we are here to help. To submit a claim online, please use our automobile or residential claim forms. Our claims representatives are ready to assist 24/7 at 1-844-929-2637.