Heat dome, wildfires, and flooding cost B.C. over $17B, study finds

British Columbia’s unprecedented heat dome, wildfire season, and flooding in 2021 cost the province’s economy up to $17.1 billion, according to a new study.

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) says its study is the first estimate of the economic costs of last year’s consecutive extreme climate events.

BREAKING: Research from @CCPA_BC shows BC’s economic cost from 2021 extreme weather events could be hit $17 BILLION, making it the most expensive climate disaster in Canadian history. https://t.co/LYcv6yJEan #ClimateCrisis #ClimateAction #bcpoli pic.twitter.com/zGf1EfhoWa

— @policyalternatives (@ccpa) November 30, 2022

The study pinned costs between $10.6 billion and $17.1 billion, much of which was put onto households and businesses.

“If ever there was a year that underscores the costs of climate change, 2021 was it,” said Marc Lee, lead author of the study and senior economist at CCPA’s B.C. office.

“The costs go way beyond insured losses, which are typically the focus in the aftermath of disasters like those we saw last year.”

In addition to insured damages to properties and government cleanup, the new research also included lost income for workers and “specific impacts on communities, particularly the vulnerable and marginalized.”

Related Stories: 

• Fraser Valley flood water testing finds cocaine, pesticides

• B.C. announces funding to help prepare for extreme temperatures

Workers affected by the disasters collectively lost between $1.5 billion and $2.6 billion as a result of business closures caused by the climate events, the report says.

Union of BC Indian Chiefs President Grand Chief Stewart Phillip says First Nations communities in the province were particularly hard-hit by the disasters.

“An overwhelming number of First Nations are not properly resourced to prepare for climate change disasters and adequately protect their communities, despite passage of the Declaration Act, which upholds self-determination,” said Phillip.

“This research underscores the dire importance of making our communities less vulnerable to climate change and making every effort to prevent warming in the first place. We must immediately stop any further expansion of fossil fuels and fracking of liquefied natural gas. There is no time to waste.”

Related Video: 

Last year’s heat dome is estimated to have caused over 600 deaths in B.C., according to the coroner’s service. Wildfires that same year resulted in the deaths of two people in Lytton, which was virtually completely destroyed in a blaze. Meanwhile, at least four people were killed in the catastrophic flooding that wiped out major highways in November of 2021.