Rain, Wind, and Fire: Reducing risk and learning from experience in Ontario’s Cottage Country Dan Sandink, Director of Research FOCA, Toronto, October 27 2018
Topics • Reducing risk at lot-level, largely straight-forward measures • Brief overview of measures and resources: • Rain – flood • Wind/tornado • Wildland fire Image: CBC News • Advice from insurers in Ontario’s cottage country • Content often drawn from urban areas, but relevant for small/residential buildings Image: Windsor Star
Cottages are multi-generational!
Coverage cost would be low, but they’re probably not interested Ontario DRA program: “Secondary residences such as cottages are not eligible .” These households are interested, but coverage cost would be high Map: Grand River Conservation Authority Insurance Bureau of Canada, 2015
Property-level riverine & coastal flood mitigation • In Ontario: Limit development in defined flood hazard areas, with exceptions • In US: Many standards, guidance documents available - “stay out of it or stay above it ”
Burlington, August 2014 120 120 100 80 64 60 38 40 20 0 5 yr 100 yr Aug. 4 '14 Burlington August 2014 – A.R. via The Weather Toronto City Stn. Network ~120 mm in 2 hrs, ~200 mm over 8 hrs (Duong/Halton, 2016)
2016 to 2018 – extreme rain, flood related cat events Saskatoon to Thunder Bay, 50 mm (up to 90 mm total) in 3 hrs (Thunder Bay), 44 June 24-25 2016 – June 2016 mm (Estevan), 140 mm, 303 mm/hr (West Hawk Lake), Thunder Bay area 104 mm (Killarney, MB), 60 mm (Grandview, MB) Estevan to Edmonton, July ~130 mm in 2 hrs ( 100 yr: 69 mm over 2 hrs ) (Estevan, 2016 SK), 49 mm (Clearwater, MB), 86 mm (Lloydminster, SK), 89 mm (Yorktown/area) Windsor area, September 106 mm in Windsor, 190 mm in Tecsumseh ( 100 yr: 110 2016 mm over 24 hrs ) Atlantic Canada, October Matthew Remnants (~225 mm in Sydney NS) 2016 Southern ON and QC, April 30-40 mm (parts of S. ON/QC, Apr. 4), 50-85 mm (parts 2017 of S. ON/QC, Apr. 5-7), 70-85 mm in Montreal 303 mm/hr West Eastern Canada, May 2017 Riverine Flood - 155 mm (May 5 and 6, Crowe Brook, NB) Hawk Lake (MB) Windsor area, Ontario, 190-290 total accumulation (100 mm at Windsor August 2017 airport), ~6,000 flood complaints ON/QC, October 2017 Remnants of TS Phillipe (inc. 112 mm in Ottawa, 74 mm in Kingston) I 2017; City of Winsor, 2017, CatIQ ON/QC, February 2018 Riverine flooding (76 mm in Lucknow, ON) 2017/2018 Image : Global News
CSA Z800-18: Basement Flood Protection Also, “miscellaneous” causes of flooding (private-side): • Failure of sump systems • Failure of lateral connections • Flooding associated with improper installation, operation, maintenance of flood protection devices Graphics: CSA Z800-18/ICLR 2009 Images: ICLR
To the extent possible, keep water away from the structure Protect home Eavestroughs, Reduce I/I downspouts Both of the above Address leakage Downspout disconnect, extension, splash pads Foundation drain disconnect, sump Lot grading, swales, backfill capping Windows, window wells, below grade entranceways, reverse slope Redundancies, driveways Backwater Lateral inspections, repair, backup power protection replacement, materials
Image: G. Kopp 2009
Map adapted from Sills et al . 2012
Increasing High Wind Safety for Canadian Homes • Focus on low-rise residential • EF2 – 200 km/h (est.) Images: G. Kopp, UWO
EF2 Damage Images: G. Kopp 2009; 2014, UWO
Some key vulnerabilities • Roofs • Structural • Non-structural Dixon, C.R., D.O. Prevatt, F.J. Masters, and K.R. Gurley, 2013. The unsealing of Kopp 2014 – Angus ON Tornado naturally aged asphalt shingles: An in-situ survey. 1st Residential Building Design & Construction Conference – February 20-21, 2013 at Sands Casino Resort, Bethlehem, PA.
Some key vulnerabilities • Roof-to-wall connections • Inspections & construction Images: G. Kopp, Vaughan, Angus Tornadoes; Testing at Insurance Research lab for Better Homes
Images: Morrison et al. 2014
Images: Morrison et al. 2014
Wind rated shingles/secondary water barrier Some example Sheathing and fastening patterns alternatives Hip roof, framed with trusses Enhanced roof-to-wall connections Uplift Non-structural Transfer load to foundation (e.g., Structural overlapping rim joist) Wood sheathing lapping sill plate Anchor bolts Photo: G. Kopp
Washington Post, October 17 2018 IBHS Fortified Gold
After Kelowna, Slave Lake – often considered “one - off” by insurers Fort McMurray has changed their perspective Fort McMurray population: 67,000 $3.7 billion insured loss Globally significant event “… no one really appreciated or considered the massive concentration of values in such a remote location exposed to the peril of wildfire.” Peter Hearn, President & CEO, Guy Carpenter (Oct. 2016) Image: Calgary Herald
Wildland fire • Increasing occupancy, use of wildland areas • Exposure and ignition risk • Historical emphasis on fire suppression • Impacts on fuel loads • Climate change • 2 to 5.5X increase in annual area burned (boreal region) by 2100 for Canada and Alaska • More emphasis on “ FireSmart ” practices, municipal & public participation in risk reduction Sources: CCFM 2005; de Groot et al. 2013; Flannigan 2012; Flannigan et al. 2005; Balski et al. 2009
Lot-level wildland fire risk reduction
Fort McMurray 2016 Post-event application of FireSmart assessment: • 81% of surviving homes were rated L – M (i.e. FireSmart) • 2/3 of burned homes rated extreme • Vegetation a major contributor to hazard Images: Examples from Kelowna, 2015 – Westhaver 2015
Property-level factors • Example 1a/non-combustible zone: Ground covers, tidiness (e.g., gas cans, lawnmowers, debris), fences, furniture, door mats, etc. Quarles 2017/University of California Cooperative Extension Westhaver 2016
Upcoming resource • NRC WUI Fire Technical Committee • NRC Guideline, leading to a Code for Canada
Insurers’ observations: Ontario cottager claims • Discussions with industry experts: Lake Simcoe, Muskoka, Kawarthas, Ottawa areas • High water levels (2017): Damage to breakwalls, some flooding • Boats being pushed, lifted off, banging on side of boat lifts, damage to lifts themselves (observed in Lake Simcoe, Muskoka areas) • Boats hitting ceilings in boat houses (Muskoka) • Storms overwhelming docked boats, causing them to sink “Boaters and cottagers are keeping their • Damage to docks, docks becoming dislodged boats in longer …they leave their boats in and bumping into other docks during flood until Thanksgiving, and then they can’t get them out because the lake has been conditions drained...you come back and there’s a • Debris floating in water sandbar 40 feet out blocking your boat.” – ~$15K claims
Mitigation options (insurance perspective) • Understand how high water could potentially get on your shoreline – adjust/build docks and breakwalls to suit highest likely water levels • Manage risk of debris in water: • Move items on your property above expected high water level, docks in need of repair a contributor to debris in water • Boats: • Don’t put boats in unless you are regularly using them, or have a dependable neighbour, marina (>1 week away) • Bilge pumps and batteries • Bellows (stern drive) – replace every 2 to 3 years • Face bow into waves • Use tonneau covers, take down convertible tops, etc. BoatTrader.com
dsandink@iclr.org www.iclr.org
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