Prairie hail damage so far this season runs west to east in terms of severity.
The Canadian Crop Hail Association said the number of hail claims is much higher than normal in Alberta as of Aug. 6, while numbers are slightly below average in Saskatchewan and much below average in Manitoba.
A July 20 storm extended from Rimbey to Alix resulted in 300 claims, while a July 27 event in the Westlock and Barrhead area produced another 200, said the association report.
From July 19 through 28, hailstorms did damage in Drumheller, Westlock, Barons, Vulcan, Camrose, Provost, Three Hills, Blackie, Picture Butte, Strathmore and Cardston.
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In Saskatchewan, a July 15 storm led to claims in almost 50 rural municipalities, with some of the worst from a storm that ran from Glenavon to Baldon. Areas around Lipton, Markinch, Tisdale, Melfort and along the province’s southeastern border also had hail damage.
A July 18 storm produced claims for more than 65,000 acres, half of them from Leross and Semans. Another storm July 19 struck a large area, with worst damage reported from Bulyea through Craven, Lumsden to Regina, Richardson, Kroneau and Sedley.
Manitoba reported hailstorms July 18, 19, 21 and 24, with the worst damage in the southwest corner of the province.
The crop hail association encouraged farmers to make claims as soon as possible after a hailstorm. Check strips or swaths must be left in hail-affected fields if the crop must be harvested before being examined by an insurance adjuster.
