The December storm that battered much of B.C.’s south coast cost $37 million in insured damages, the Insurance Bureau of Canada announced Wednesday.
On Dec. 20, strong winds and heavy rain causes significant damage to about 3,000 homes, as well as businesses and vehicles.
The brunt of it was felt in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island, and the Gulf Islands, where many BC Hydro customers were without power over Christmas.
In White Rock, the iconic pier at the city’s waterfront was cut in two when moored boats crashed through it.
At its peak, the storm put 750,000 BC Hydro customers in the dark.
The end-of-year storm brought the total insured damage from extreme weather across the country to $1.9 billion in 2018.
“The financial costs of climate change are increasing rapidly,” said Aaron Sutherland, vice president for the bureau’s Pacific region.
“Last month’s storm events are the latest example of the need to improve our resilience to climate change and adapt to the new weather reality we face.”
