The Southern Alberta Flood Is Now Almost Three Weeks Old, and Like Many Disasters That

July 10, 2013

The Southern Alberta Flood is now almost three weeks old, and like many disasters that have a great human toll, this one has brought out the best in most people. Alberta insurance brokers have stepped up to the plate in many ways to ease the burden of those affected. Proud to be part of the broker channel that personalizes insurance, brokers have shown that they care about the communities in which they live.

The overall response of broker-channel insurance companies has also been positive. While flooding is not a covered peril for personal home insurance, brokers and their insurer partners are doing everything they can to assist clients with disaster recovery efforts.

Brokers are taking care of people as they start to put their lives back together again. Like many other businesses and people in the affected areas, many brokers were effectively non-operational due to flooding and evacuations. Consequently, their clients could not reach them in order to start their claims process. The broker community sprang into action with many brokers volunteering their time to assist people with their claims, working out of their homes when their offices were shut down, and assisting other brokers. Brokers have rolled up their sleeves to help people in cleaning their homes and businesses. In at least one instance,a broker opened her home to her clients so that they would have a dry place to spend the night.

Insurance Brokers Association of Alberta (IBAA) has also assisted brokers, affected Albertans,and businesses in general. Immediately following the storm, IBAA made available its entire staff, particularly the licensed staff, to insurance consumers who were unable to contact their brokers. In addition to a sympathetic ear, IBAA staff offered advice on how to proceed, which was very comforting for those with nowhere to turn.

As well, IBAA and Insurance Brokers Association of Canada have teamed up with the Corus Radio network to send 500 blankets to the affected areas. IBAA will also be collecting donations to be given to the Red Cross and Victim Services to assist with the recovery effort. IBAA President Gord Enders and I toured much of the affected area to offer assistance where we could.This tour allowed us to appreciate first-hand the extent of the disaster, learn what brokers and the communities need,andsee the effort brokers are putting into the recovery.

Finally, in an effort to improve the property and casualty insurance product for Albertans, IBAA is hosting a Property Insurance Forum in September 2013. The forum will bring together insurance brokers, insurance companies, the Insurance Bureau of Canada, government regulators, the home construction industry, the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, and others in order to address issues around catastrophic property losses includingflooding. A sustainable industry providing affordable and accessible insurance products to Alberta consumers is vital to clients, industry stakeholders, and the Alberta economy.

The broker industry, IBAA, and its members continue to serve Albertans as they recover from this disaster. We also continue to serve Albertans as we look for new ways the property and casualty insurance industry can respond to these catastrophes.

Please feel free to contact Insurance Brokers Association of Alberta at 1-800-318-0197 or through our website at

Yours sincerely,

George R. Hodgson, CFE

Chief Executive Officer