Two major hailstorms in Alberta on the weekend have resulted in about 1,500 insurance claims covering more than a million acres of crops.
Chris Dyck, senior manager of insurance operations with Agriculture Financial Services Corp., said Wednesday afternoon that the storm on Saturday affected some 58,000 acres in the Central Alberta region.
The majority of the more than 200 claims that have been filed in response have come into AFSC’s Red Deer office, he added.
“The damage ranges from light to heavy, and pea- to walnut-size hailstones.”
By far the more damaging storm struck the province late Sunday, cutting a strip of devastation from west of Olds to the Milk River area in Southern Alberta.
“The width of the storm sort of varied from seven km to 50 km,” said Dyck.
Adjusters are expected to be in the fields next week, he said.
“It’s going to take a while to get through this one, but we’ve got every available adjuster going at it.”