By the Insurance Corporation of BC for BC Broker, June 2022
In recent years, we’ve experienced extreme heat waves, droughts, forest fires, heavy rainfall, and floods. These weather events can affect British Columbians in many ways, from losing their vehicles due to floods and fires, to not being able to access driver licensing services due to road and highway closures.
Coverage conversation
With fire and flood season near, we’d like to remind you of the important conversations you can have to help ensure customers are aware of coverage considerations.
If customers already have own damage coverage and their policy is due to be renewed, they may renew with the same comprehensive or specified perils coverage, even if they are under a flood- or fire-related evacuation alert, notice, or order, provided the renewal is processed before the expiry date. Customers under an evacuation alert, notice, or order who do not currently have own damage coverage may not add Comprehensive or Specified Perils coverage to their existing insurance or take out a storage policy for threatened vehicles.
It’s important that customers who are considering reducing coverage or cancelling their policy, or who have already done so, are aware of the implications. Storage policies that cover flood or fire damage are also available so long as they are in place prior to an evacuation alert, notice, or order.
What to prepare and pack
Severe weather such as heavy rain, forest fires, and blizzards can happen without warning and in any season, so it is important that customers are prepared.
