Impacts: extreme weather

Impacts of recent extreme weather events highlight the vulnerability of Canadian communities and critical infrastructure to climate change.

The economic costs resulting from extreme weather events in Canada in the past decade (since 1996) have been greater than for all previous years combined. Costs reaching hundreds of millions and even billions of dollars are associated with flooding, wind, hail and ice storms, hurricanes, tornados and wild fires in all regions of southern Canada, arising from property damage and disruptions in the production and flow of goods and services. Prolonged periods of unusual weather, such as drought, can also result in high economic costs.