It's no surprise but the number of hail claims for the month of July has jumped. 

The Canadian Crop Hail Association says adjusters are following up on more than 2000 claims across the Prairies in the first 2 1/2 weeks of the month.  Storms produced pea-to-quarter size hail that damaged crops along with heavy rain in some areas that is making field access difficult for adjusters.

Canadian Crop Hail Association Report

Murray Bantle, of Co-operative Hail Insurance Company, said storms damaged cereals, oilseed and pulses in the Manitoba communities of Benito and Oakburn. He said the damaged ranged from light to heavy.

In Saskatchewan, he said storms damaged crops in Bladworth, Central Butte, Creelman, Foam Lake, Goodeve, Kipling, Lancer, Leader, Melville, Prelate, Wawota, Wolsely, Aberdeen, Deslisle, Edenwold, Elfross, Esterhazy, Langenburg, Lintlaw, Lipton, Melville, Milestone, Odessa, Rhein, Weeks, Wynyard, Yorkton and Sturgis.

“Many areas reporting damage was light to medium and others are reporting medium to heavy,” he said. “Saskatchewan had active early week storms last Sunday and Monday. Storms were scattered through all regions of the province.”

Brendan Blight of Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation, said storms produced pea size hail in the Manitoba communities of Swan River, Altona, Kenton, northwest of Hamiota and southeast of Birtle and Grandview. All types of crops were damaged.

“We are seeing minor damage for the most part and a few claims with moderate damage,” he said. “It was very windy during this storm.”

Beth Shewkenek, of AG Direct Hail Insurance, said storms damaged crops in central Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Scott McQueen, of Palliser Insurance Company, said storms damaged crops across all three western provinces.

“Rain in certain areas is making working conditions difficult and field access limited,” he said. “Overall, crops around the prairie provinces are looking very good.”

Jackie Sanden, of Agriculture Financial Services Corporation, said storms damaged crops in the Alberta communities of Bindloss, Brant, Boyle, Cremona, Chancellor, Drumheller, Buford, Waskatenau and the counties of Lacombe, Red Deer, Kneehill and Mountain View.

Darryl Tiefenbach, of Additional Municipal Hail, said storms damaged crops in the Saskatchewan communities of Fox Valley, Glidden, Eston, Frontier, Assiniboia, Wood Mountain, Mikado. Storms also damaged crops in Leader, Eatonia, Coleville, Beechy, Lipton, Melville and Foam Lake, he said.

He said the storms produced pea-to-quarter size hail and damaged crops of all types.

“Wind and rain are factors affecting losses in some areas,” he said.