Natural disasters do not discriminate…
Whether it be a car, a home, or your life, a natural disaster may rob those from you, without any chance of compensation on your part. To live in an "environmentally" disastrous area as Alberta will require you to insure all property that may be difficult to replace in the future.
If you're skeptical about the need for insurance, we can let history do the job in explaining the need for insurance. As such, we're going to present you below a series of natural disasters that have afflicted Alberta for the past 3 decades!
(1) The 1987 Edmonton Tornado.
You thought tornados showed up in desert climates only, right? Well, think again. In 1987, the state of Alberta was struck with a series of tornadoes that destroyed 300 homes, injured 300 people, and killed 27.
That is a lot for a tornado. You would think it was a hurricane from the sheer damage…
Tornadoes are of course an unexpected occurrence, just like with many natural disasters.Yet, when it comes to natural disasters, Alberta is an exception.
After all, this is a place where insurance is really vital, especially when Alberta happens to be hosting an average of 16 tornados per year!
(2) The 2000 Pine Lake Tornado.
We're still in Alberta by the way. This disaster struck just 13 years after the previous disastrous one in 1987. If you check records, you would find that this tornado's speed clocked over 300kmh…
The amount of damage money-wise is something to cringe at. Over $13 million in damages were done, with 12 people getting killed, and 100 being injured.
Again, just in case you think you didn't need that insurance policy.
(3) 2011 Slave Lake Wildfire.
Enough of tornados. Let's diversify a little bit into other forms of disaster.
On May 2011, fire was set to the town of Slave Lake in Alberta, causing what may be seen as one of Canada's biggest and costliest disasters in history.
Over 7000 people were required to evacuate the town, with close to 730 losing their homes, and a destruction of 1/3 of the town. The damage? Well, it was estimated at $750 million Canadian Dollars.
Luckily of course, the disaster was insured (which wasn't good like for insurers, we bet).
Now, do take into consideration that this town is located in Edmonton, which is the capital city of Alberta. The population of the city is currently close to 1.5 million, which is a big number, if a disaster like Slave Lake would happen again…
(4) 2013 Alberta Floods.
Luckily, it was water this time. Unfortunately, the flood hit the entire province, causing way more damage than the 2011 wildfire. Damages estimates have exceeded $1.7 billion (US dollars).
Add to this of course that close to 2000 Canadian Force personnel were deployed for assistance, in addition to the displacement of 100,000 people, and you have a true crisis. This may have very well been one of the world's biggest environmental disasters to affect man, in the current decade…
(5) 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire.
Pretty recent it is. After all, it just occurred this year. This disaster matches the Alberta floods in intensity. That is, except that this is a wildfire, not a flood.
Wildfires are very difficult to control, and much more destructive in damage. This specific fire was triggered on May 2016, burning through 590,000 hectares of land, and destroying close to 2400 buildings.
This was definitely the costliest disaster in the history of Canada, up to this point. Damages have been estimated at $3.5 billion US dollars. That is literally a nuke missile program right there.
Considering that this was a fire, you didn't simply end up with a wet floor, like you did at the end of a flood. Here, you'd either lose your home, get your car burnt, or possibly end up with your skin being peeled from the heat.
In all cases, if you lacked insurance, then we recommend you get Insurance consulting ASAP.
Having Insurance is a part of the Albertan Lifestyle.
The previous disasters weren't a "once in a lifetime" occurrence. With the assumption that you are aged 40 (born in 1976), you would have technically witnessed all the previous disasters at one point or another, during your life in the region of Alberta. Therefore, more than anyone, you should be aware of the need for insurance.
And we definitely know the best place where you can get consulting for the best rates! Arc Insurance is a firm that specializes in insurance advisory services, and especially in areas related to car, life, and building insurance.
We highly recommend you check them out, for the best quotes on the insurance you need!
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