December floods in British Columbia cause nearly $90 million in insured damage

Ongoing flooding in province a stark reminder of need for government to invest in resilience

VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 16, 2026 /CNW/ - Severe weather and flooding that hammered southern British Columbia (BC) and parts of Alberta this past December caused close to $90 million in insured damage, according to estimates from Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ). BC's Fraser Valley suffered the vast majority of losses, with $74 million in damage, primarily to homes and businesses.

The severe weather and flooding event led to evacuations, power outages, and damaged homes and farms, disrupting the lives and livelihoods of thousands of British Columbians. Tragically, it also led to loss of life.

"Severe weather and flooding has once again disrupted the lives of residents and business owners across Southwestern BC and Vancouver Island," said Aaron Sutherland, Vice-President, Pacific and Western, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC). "Coming just four years after the devastating 2021 floods, this most recent flood damage is a painful reminder of the need to build BC's resilience and better protect communities from the new weather reality we face."

In the aftermath of BC's 2021 flooding, the province developed a robust BC flood strategy that included measures to better protect families and communities. Unfortunately, the strategy remains underfunded.

IBC is calling on the BC government to prioritize funding for the strategy to better protect residents in the future. This funding should include investment in flood risk mapping, protective infrastructure, and incentives to help households and businesses flood-proof their properties.

"Investing in community resilience and damage prevention is always more cost-effective than paying to rebuild year after year following every disaster," added Sutherland. "By prioritizing risk reduction and mitigation, the government can increase the number of homeowners that have access to flood insurance, which provides much more robust support than the government disaster assistance that high-risk homeowners are forced to rely on today."

Residents and business owners should stay in close contact with their insurance representatives and adjusters as they progress through the claims process. Anyone with general auto, home or business insurance questions can also contact IBC's Consumer Information Centre at 1-844-2ask-IBC (1-844-227-5422) or [email protected].

The amount of insured damage is an estimate provided by CatIQ (www.CatIQ.com) under licence to IBC.

About Insurance Bureau of Canada

Established in 1964, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is the national industry association representing Canada's private home, auto and business insurers. Its member companies make up the vast majority of Canada's highly competitive property and casualty (P&C) insurance market.

As the leading advocate for Canada's private P&C insurers, IBC collaborates with governments, regulators and stakeholders to support a competitive environment for the P&C insurance industry to continue to help protect Canadians from the risks of today and tomorrow.

IBC believes that Canadians value and deserve a responsive and resilient private P&C insurance industry that provides insurance solutions to both individuals and businesses.

For media releases, IN Focus articles, or to book an interview with an IBC representative, visit ibc.ca. Follow us on LinkedIn, X and Instagram, and like us on Facebook. If you have a question about home, auto or business insurance, contact IBC's Consumer Information Centre at 1-844-2ask-IBC. We're here to help.

SOURCE Insurance Bureau of Canada

Media Contact: Brett Weltman, Manager, Media Relations, IBC, [email protected]