The floods due to the torrential rain is increasingly expensive to insurers, which cover fewer and fewer properties for damage caused by water.
Posted at 5:00 a.m.
How many buildings are no longer assurable for this reason? The Canada Insurance Office (BAC) says it doesn’t have any information about it. Desjardins, the most important insurer in Quebec, refused to give us an interview on this issue.
In 2023, 75 % of home insurance contracts in Canada included an addendum to cover water infiltration by the foundation and sewage repress, compared to 78 % in 2020, indicates the tank. But we do not know if this decrease is attributable to a decision by customers or the insurer.
“In the event of multiple claims over a short period, it is possible that an insurer will lower the amount of coverage of the addendum, that it increases the premium, or both. It is also possible that he does not renew the addendum or that he requires certain works to make the risk assurable, ”explains a representative of the bac, in a response sent by email.
In Quebec, the Government program of Financial Assistance in the event of a claim is reserved for the floods caused by the overflow of a watercourse. The damage caused by the rain is not included because they can be covered by a private insurer, explains the government to justify this distinction.
But fewer and fewer owners have access to this protection.
Advise the victims
After a flood, insurers would have an interest in advising their customers on the protective measures to be established at home, to reduce future complaints, underline the experts.
“The best thing for an insurer is to reduce the risk,” said Anabela Bonada, director of the Intact Center on Climate Adaptation (CIAC).
Some companies have withdrawn from risk sectors in Quebec because of the floods in recent years. If they do not help owners to protect themselves, they will still lose customers.
Anabela Bonada, Directrice du Ciac
Some insurers have started to provide flood prevention services. At Assurances Desjardins, we “look at how to accompany customers to rebuild better,” said a spokesperson, Véronique Breton, in a response sent by email.
For example, insured people can obtain up to $ 1000 to install a drying pump or an anti -road valve.
Prevention and financing
The nerve of war is prevention and financing, according to Mathieu Gillet, expert in sustainable urban development, responsible for business development at Ecohabitation.
Many owners are not so rich. They do not have $ 40,000 to renovate and risk more damage and a drop in value of their property. For people to adopt these measures, a financing program is needed.
Mathieu Gillet, expert in sustainable urban development, business development manager at Ecohabitation
Ecohabitation participated in waterproof garage doors tests in Montreal last year, a solution that turned out to be effective for counter-skills. But these products are still little available, expensive and also require plumbing work.
“There is no unique solution. Each case is different, depending on the paths of water. And at each new extreme event, we can discover new vulnerabilities, ”underlines Élène Levasseur, of architecture without borders.
It gives the example of valves, compulsory in municipal regulations: there are several types, and if you install the wrong, or in the wrong place, the problems can get worse.
Photo provided by the CNRC
The CNRC has built a house in a huge pool, in its laboratories in Ottawa, to test flood protection measures.
Temporary protections
When the water enters through the doors and windows rather than by backing up, it is sometimes necessary to turn to temporary protective measures.
The National Center for Research of Canada (CNRC) has tested several, recently, by building a house in a huge basin, in its Ottawa laboratories.
Result: the inflatable batancies that block the openings are much more effective and practical than the traditional sandbags.
“A large part of the problem is availability,” says Louis Poirier, of the CNRC. “But distributors are starting to offer European products here, and we encourage the development of local solutions, such as doors and waterproof windows. »»
Photo Nicolas Seguin, supplied by the CNRC
Louis Poirier, researcher in ocean, coastal and river engineering at the National Research Center of Canada
We must also favor mold resistant materials, such as gypsum designed for bathrooms and polished concrete floors, according to Louis Poirier.
The ideal is to be able to “welcome water”, that is to say that there are only minimal damage in the event of flood, explains Mathieu Gillet,
Just as cities designer sponges parks, each citizen should develop their “sponge property”, to help reduce floods, he adds, noting that private land occupies 70 % of Montreal territory.
“Measures to absorb and retain water on each private land would be more effective and less expensive than anything that the city can do to increase the capacity of its infrastructure,” says Jean-Luc Martel, professor at the School of Higher Technology (ETS), who carried out studies on this subject.
