How to help keep your home safe from natural disasters

Radar can help

Radar^TM, a severe weather alert service, is available for free on The Personal Mobile app. It lets you know about severe weather in your area when it’s happening. Unlike a typical weather app, Radar identifies risks such as high winds, hail, heavy rains and fire within a 500-metre radius of your home (up to 5 locations total), which gives you the opportunity to protect your family, home and vehicle before the weather hits.

4 types of natural disasters and how to keep your home safer

Extreme weather events such as floods, wildfires, windstorms and hail are becoming more frequent. They're also becoming more intense and causing more (and more expensive) damage. But there are steps you can take to prevent damage to your home.

For example, have you ever considered your gutters? Clean eavestroughs help direct water runoff away from your home (ideally with the help of downspouts pointed at least 2 metres away from your foundation). This can help protect against flooding, which is always a risk during weather events such as torrential rains, hurricanes and hailstorms. And it’s doubly protective, since by eliminating debris such as dry leaves, pine needles and branches, you’re helping to reduce your fire risk!

Check out these tips for more ways to protect your home.

Flash flooding and heavy rains

Floods are one of the most common natural disasters in Canada, and one of the costliest.¹ In fact, water damage is the number one type of home insurance claim in Canada.²

While some areas are flooding hot spots, it can happen almost anywhere, at almost any time of year. But the number one cause is the spring thaw, followed by heavy rains, which we are seeing more and more of these days.

How you can help protect against flooding

Here are some steps you can take to prevent or minimize water damage to your home and property, no matter what your risk.

3 basic things you can do:

• Keep important documents and other valuables in a waterproof container.
• Make sure your basement floor drains are clear and unobstructed.
• Reduce water use during and immediately after heavy rains.

3 things that take a little more effort:

• Add a plastic window well cover as an extra barrier against water.
• Disconnect your downspouts if they empty directly into the public sewer system.
• Seal basement windows to prevent leaks.

3 things to have a professional take care of:

• Install a sump pump with a back-up power supply.
• Have a backwater valve installed and cleaned out twice a year, in the spring and fall.
• Grade the ground around your home so it slopes away from your foundation for at least 2 metres (6 feet).

How insurance can offer peace of mind against flood risks

Home insurance policies typically cover accidental water damage to people’s homes. This type of damage is caused by things like water main breaks and damage that occurs if a bathtub overflows. But other types of coverage are also available for additional peace of mind.³

4 optional water-related endorsements we offer:

• Ground water or sewer backup (Endorsement 16c): offers protection if, for example, your city sewers overflow and cause water to back up into your basement.
• Flooding from an overflowing body of water (Endorsement 16d): offers protection if, for example, a river overflows and damages your belongings.
• Endorsement 51: offers coverage for the cost of tearing up and repairing the ground to replace a broken exterior water service line on your property, for example.
• Above ground water and weight of ice, snow or sleet (Endorsement 42): provides protection if, for example, a window breaks during a storm and the water damages your floor and belongings.

Build back better and stronger

We offer up to $1,000 to help pay for a sump pump with a back-up power supply or a backwater valve if your property is covered by Endorsement 16c and you've had losses due to a sewer back-up.³

Forest fires

Forest fires, also known as wildfires or wildland fires, destroy hundreds of homes and displace thousands of people every year. Since so much of Canada is heavily forested, many regions are threatened by wildfires, especially when conditions are dry. With climate change bringing on longer, drier summers, more of these fires are springing up every year.

How you can help protect against wildfires

Though wildfires can spread quickly, there are steps you can take ahead of time to reduce the risk of fire damage to your home. If you share these tips with friends and neighbours, together you can make your community safer, since reducing the risk for one reduces the risk for everyone.

3 basic things you can do:

• Rake up and discard branches, pine needles and dead leaves around your home in the spring and fall.
• Keep the lawn around your home mowed to no more than 10 centimetres.
• Close your windows if you won’t be at home.

3 things that take a little more effort:

• If any combustible materials, such as firewood, are located near your home, move them to a spot at least 1.5 metres away.
• Replace evergreens, such as spruce and cedar, within 10 metres of your home with fire-resistant trees such as poplar or maple.
• Replace wood chips, bark or rubber mulch within 1.5 metres of any buildings with alternatives like pebbles that don’t burn.

3 things to have a professional take care of:

• Replace older roofing with fire-resistant materials.
• Repair attic vents, loose soffits, and gaps around doors and windows and, if possible, block any openings that could admit burning embers.
• Replace combustible siding with siding that is fire-resistant, such as brick or steel.

How insurance can offer peace of mind against wildfires

Home insurance policies cover property damage, including damage from wildfires. Some policies also cover additional living expenses that may be incurred if you have to evacuate.

Tornadoes, hurricanes, tropical storms and high winds

Tornadoes, hurricanes, tropical storms and high winds can leave a trail of destruction in their wake.

Tornadoes are seen most often between April and September but can occur year-round. They tend to pop up suddenly, but there are often warning signs, like severe thunderstorms, a rumbling sound, a funnel cloud formation, or dark skies with a greenish tinge.

These types of events are becoming more common, with the highest risk of tornadoes in southern Ontario and Quebec, the Atlantic provinces and the Prairies.⁴ Fierce winds can rip even heavy items off the ground and hurl them through the air, hurting people and damaging property.

How you can help protect against tornadoes, hurricanes, tropical storms and high winds

Tornado wind speeds can be as high as 500 km/h. They can rip up trees, destroy homes, and flip vehicles right over. But we've got some tips to help you keep your home and family safe from wind damage.

3 basic things you can do:

• Make sure your patio furniture, barbecues, garbage cans and other possible projectiles are secured, by stacking furniture against a wall, attaching items to a sturdy structure with bungee cords, bringing smaller items inside, etc.
• Park in a garage if you can. If you can’t, try to park as far away from trees, streetlights and power lines as you can.
• Make sure your windows, shutters, and doors are all closed and locked if a storm is coming.

3 things that take a little more effort:

• Prune dead or damaged branches so they don't break off and cause damage.
• Make sure there are no loose shingles on your roof that could be torn off.
• Make sure your siding is properly sealed so wind can’t get underneath and rip it off the building.

3 things to have a professional take care of:

• Opt for impact-resistant windows or install storm shutters.
• Remove trees that are too close to your home.
• Install impact-resistant roofing (Class 4 shingles) to protect against high winds.

How insurance can provide peace of mind against tornados, hurricanes and wind damage

Most home insurance policies cover damage from high winds, hurricanes and tornadoes, such as:

• Damage caused by flying debris and fallen trees
• Damage to your home and possessions caused by water entering through sudden openings caused by wind or hail

Hailstorms

Damaging hailstorms are mainly seen in Canada between May and October, with July being the most active month. They can occur anywhere, though severe storms occur more frequently in the southern Prairies, southern Ontario, and especially Alberta.

Intense hailstorms are becoming more frequent and can cause significant damage to your home, as well as to your vehicle. Hailstorms are usually very short-lived, but they can develop quickly and be very destructive.

How you can help protect against hailstorms

Hailstones come in all sizes, from tiny pebbles to the size of grapefruits, but all types of hail, even the smallest pellets, can cause serious damage in just minutes. But there are steps you can take to prepare your home for a hailstorm.

3 basic things you can do:

• Cover your vehicle with a thick blanket or park in a garage, if you can.
• Bring outdoor items such as barbecues and patio furniture indoors or cover them up.
• Draw your drapes, blinds, or window shades so any broken glass can be trapped and not blown across your home.

3 things that take a little more effort:

• Cover your windows with safety film to help prevent glass from shattering.
• Check your roof for missing shingles and water damage.
• Add storm shutters to your windows.

3 things to have a professional take care of:

• Add an ice and water shield to your roof covering.
• Install impact-resistant skylights and windows.
• Have a building inspector assess the ability of your home to withstand hail and other hazards.

How insurance can offer peace of mind against hailstorms

Damage to your home caused by hail is generally covered by your all-risk home insurance, though the same isn’t true for your landscaping – damage to trees, plants and lawns isn't covered. Hail damage to vehicles, however, is usually covered if you have All Perils car insurance.

Build back better and stronger

In some hail prone areas in Alberta, we offer up to $2,500 to help replace a roof with class 4 asphalt shingles if the property is covered by Endorsement 53.⁵

Best practices for repairs and renovations

If you’re repairing or renovating your home, you can take steps to help ensure your home is better protected in the future. Here are a couple of ideas:

Water damage: Choose water-resistant floor coverings such as vinyl or elevate floor coverings with water-resistant materials such as waterproof ventilated strips.

Fire: Choose metal siding or asphalt shingle roofing. In fact, Class 4 shingles, which are typically made of asphalt, also provide protection against impacts, high winds and hail, so they’re a good choice all around.

Your municipality might offer subsidies to offset the cost of installation. Contact them to find out what you might be entitled to and what regulations apply.

General tips to stay safe during a natural disaster

To keep your family safe in the event of a natural disaster, it's important to have an emergency plan and an emergency kit ready to go. Knowing what to do makes everyone feel empowered.

Keep your family safe – have an emergency plan

One of the most important things you can do to prepare for an emergency is to have a plan for how to stay safe. With a plan, everyone will know what their responsibilities are, where to go to be safe or/ and to meet up, and they'll have the tools they need to take care of each other.

Keep your family safe – prepare an emergency kit

Be sure to set aside enough supplies to take care of yourself and your family for 72 hours after an emergency. Some key items to include in your emergency kit are:

• Water (2 to 4 litres per person)
• Canned food and an opener, energy bars and other non-perishable foods
• A flashlight and extra batteries
• A first-aid kit

The Insurance Bureau of Canada has a detailed checklist you can use to create your own emergency plan and kit.

Prepare for the worst (but hope for the best!)

As you might have noticed, many of the steps you can take to protect your home against a given climate event can protect against multiple events. So why not start today? Small improvements to your home's safety can pay off big time.

Prevention tools

Prevention tools, such as Radar, can help you get ready for severe weather. Radar is a weather alert service that can pinpoint severe weather risks for up to 5 specific addresses and send you alerts so you can prepare.

Filing a home insurance claim

If you do have to file a claim, don't worry. We make it easy and are here to guide you through the process.

You can file a claim online or over the phone, whichever is easier for you. We know it's a stressful time, so we’re committed to helping however we can.

One thing you can do to make the process easier for yourself is to keep a checklist of everything in your home. Ideally, your checklist will be backed up by receipts, descriptions, or pictures of all your things.

Weather the storms

By making sure you’re aware of the kinds of climate events that are common in your region, staying on top of weather alerts, and making your home more resilient, you can help keep your home safer.