ESTEVAN - Over a month after a powerful storm blasted the Estevan area with large hail and powerful winds, SGI is still working through the claims process.
Jeremy Pilon, a communication consultant with SGI media relations, said the Crown corporation has had approximately 6,500 claims for vehicles related to the storm, and about 650, or roughly 10 per cent, have been written off.
"These numbers are still very preliminary, as we still have nearly 3,200 vehicles to complete estimates for. As of right now, the estimated cost of damages is $3.9 million."
As for property claims, the total claims for the Estevan area were at 300. The estimated cost of property damage is just over $5 million. Province-wide, SGI had nearly 1,000 claims from the event and damages are expected to exceed $20 million.
A July 14 storm in the southeast corner of the province also caused some damage, although not to the extent of the June system. There have been 18 claims thus far, and the projected total loss is nearly $250,000.
SGI has had 202 claims from the July storm, with the majority of them for hail.
"We have seen some claims for sewer backups and lightning damage as well. We do not have a cost estimate for this storm yet."
The majority of the claims filed for the property division were for hail or wind damages to residential buildings. While SGI did receive a few claims related to commercial properties, damage to residences was greater.
On the auto side, claims were primarily for hail damage. SGI is not aware of any flooding or wind damage from the Estevan storm of June 23 or the Carnduff storm of July 14.
"The storm activity numbers for June 23rd are significant," said Pilon. "There have been larger storms in the last few years – Regina in 2021 being the most notable one – but 7,500 storm claims is still a large storm event.
"This number of claims in a very localized area can affect our capacity and response, and we are working hard to provide responses and estimating services, along with repair shops in this area, as quickly as possible."
SGI has had three appraisal blitzes in Estevan to work through as many of these claims as quickly as possible. Another one was scheduled for the Saskatchewan Day long weekend in Estevan.
As with any storm, SGI encourages its customers who had damage to file a claim as soon as possible. By dealing with a claim, customers can get in to see an appraiser, adjuster or repair person sooner. This helps people get back on their feet faster and helps prevent further damage to property.
