A line of severe storms that hammered Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba in late August caused more than $235 million in insured damages, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
The storms, which swept across the three provinces on Aug. 20 and 21, included golf ball-sized hail, torrential rains, strong winds and several confirmed reports of tornadoes touching down in both Alberta and Saskatchewan.
The storms that swept across the prairies on Aug. 20 and 21 also included several confirmed reports of funnel clouds touching down.
Courtesy: Gerry Pocha, Radisson, Sk
The hardest-hit communities included Brooks, Alta., Radisson, Langham and North Battleford, Sask. and Portage la Prairie, Man.
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Following the storm, Environment Canada Meteorologist Crawford told Global News that in North Battleford, Sk, wind gusts were clocked at 129 km/h.
Trees were blown down, windows and siding were smashed, at least one barn roof was ripped off, power lines were toppled and many crops were destroyed.
Near Brooks, a pony and a camel were also killed when they tried to take shelter from the storm beneath some trees.
The IBC estimates that damage to vehicles accounted for about a third of the insured costs.
The line of storms included winds near 130 km/hr in some places along with torrential rain and hail the size of golf balls.
Courtesy: Tracey Verishine, Langham, Sk
“Many people in the path of this devastating storm had their lives disrupted and property damaged,” said Aaron Sutherland, vice-president Pacific and Western, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC).
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Amy Bueckert of Neualage, Sask., whose house was severely damaged by golf ball-sized hail, described the storm as “insane.” “It was very, very loud, it was like someone was chucking rocks all over the house.”
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The storm also many crops, like this one in the Brooks, Ab area.
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IBC says the total damage from the summer weather season across Western Canada, including damage from both wildfires and hailstorms, caused an estimated $725 million in insurance damage.
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The estimate includes a hailstorm in Calgary on July 13 that caused $164 million in damage and the La Ronge, Flin Flon, Lac du Bonnet and Shoe wildfires in Saskatchewan and Manitoba that resulted in about $360 million in insured losses.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada says the “eventful weather” during the summer of 2025, caused more than $725 million in insured damage across western Canada, including $360 million in losses from wildfires in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Courtesy: Joanne Dorward
The IBC’s damage estimates also include a plea for governments to take steps to better protect Canadians from future natural disasters, including more stringent building codes, mandating the use of hail-resistant roofing and siding for all new construction in high-risk areas, improved hailstorm notification systems, providing homeowners with incentives to make their homes and businesses more resilient and improved wildfire preparedness.
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