Severe hailstorms in central Alberta and northwestern Saskatchewan have taken a crop toll, and many farms have been hit more than once in August.
The Canadian Crop Hail Association filed its latest report Aug. 21, which indicated a high number of claims filed so far this month. The developing backlog prompted pleas for hail-affected farmers to leave check strips so adjusters can assess claims as time permits.
Insurance providers can provide details on check strip requirements, the association said.
In Alberta, hailstorms on Aug. 6, 7 and 8 generated most of the damage in that province. The Aug. 7 storm brought pea to tennis ball-sized hailstones driven by high winds and heavy rain. Several hundred claims resulted.
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“Some producers within the im-pacted areas reported as many as four incidents of hail within a few hours, as storm cells circled,” the association reported in a news release.
In Saskatchewan, hundreds of claims have been filed this month, most of them from an Aug. 8 storm that swept a wide area on the west side of the province, with pockets affected in the east.
The association said claim numbers are still within the five year average, but the larger storms seen this month are more intense than normal and above average payouts are expected in some areas as a result.
In Manitoba, the association re-ports that hail activity is well below the five-year average with only a few storms reported.
