Ahead of flood and wildfire season, B.C. urges public to have proper insurance

As B.C. heads into its flood and wildfire seasons, the province is urging residents to prepare by getting the proper insurance.

According to the government, home insurance is available throughout the province in different communities, though residential flood insurance can be limited in areas with higher risk.

“As we’ve seen in recent years, from wildfires to floods, many households in the province are uninsured or underinsured for the hazards we face in British Columbia, which are becoming more frequent due to climate change,” said Minister of Public Safety Mike Farnworth in a news release on Tuesday.

The first financial estimate of insured damage from November’s catastrophic floods in southern B.C. came in at $450 million, with the Insurance Bureau of Canada noting at the time that many affected residents sadly were in high-risk flood areas where flood insurance was not available.

B.C. recommends people contact the bureau at 1-844-227-5422 for more information.

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“Insurance is a critical tool to help individuals and families prepare for – and recover from – these risks, should the worst occur,” Aaron Sutherland, vice president of the Western and Pacific divisions of the insurance organization, said.

The government is offering both flood and wildfire preparedness guides online.