City of Windsor not responsible for hundreds of insurance claims from September flood
The City of Windsor is not responsible for covering 401 insurance claims linked to the floods on September 29 because its storm water system was working properly, according to a city solicitor.
The hundreds of claims that poured in to the city after the record-breaking rainfall filled basements with water, are included in a year-end risk management report council will review on Monday.
Shelby Askin Hager said most of the claims the city received came from homeowners' insurance companies. But, she stressed, the city is not actually responsible for making pay outs.
"We certainly reviewed over and over the systems that we have and the processes that we have, confirmed that everything was functioning as it was intended to function," Askin Hager said.
The solicitor added described the September storm as "overwhelming," meaning the city isn't liable for those claims.
Excluding the September flood, sewer-related claims have gone down over the past 5 years — a track record Askin Hager credited to the city's basement flooding protection program.
The report recommends the city pay for the claims it is responsible for out of the overall budget surplus, rather than a reserve fund.
Askin Hager said it's important the city maintain and adequate reserve fund to cover unforeseen events.
