Northeast residents still waiting for insurance claims from hailstorm

Homeowners wondering if boarded up windows and shredded siding will survive a Calgary winter. Their frustration waiting on insurance companies as the weather gets colder.

CALGARY (CityNews) – Boarded up windows and homeowners wondering if this will survive a fall snowstorm – which isn’t unusual for Calgary.

There’s a rush in the northeast for hailstorm damaged homes still needing repairs, while people wait on insurance money.

Close to four months after this violent hailstorm, contractors are a regular sight here in Taradale but homes range from work in progress to untouched.

Ashwani Bhanjal fixed some siding on his own, but the priority is this window if he can get a hold of his adjuster.

“They got some preliminary estimates of the damage, after that, we didn’t hear anything from the insurance company. And I’m regularly sending emails.”

WATCH: History-making hailstorm

The family living in one house said they needed urgent repairs while waiting for coverage estimates.

“The glass was broken, it kept falling, the debris it almost hit my son one day in the front so we couldn’t wait for them to tell us if it covers the window or just the glass itself. So we went ahead to replace the whole window.”

But there’s tens of thousands more damage to siding and the roof that the family is paying for itself, and it’s expensive shopping around for contractors.

“It’s not fair, because all the neighbourhood needs help at this time and instead of helping us they’re pricing it so high.”

The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) said most inspections from this hailstorm are done.

In a statement it said.

“This one event caused over $1.2 billion in insured damage and almost 70,000 claims and with an event of this size, there can be delays as there is a significant strain on resources but insurers are working to reduce and eliminate delays wherever possible.”

Faresh Wafa said their insurance money is barely covering repairs and like her neighbours, they worry winter will just make it worse.

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