Calgary condo flood serves as harsh reminder for renters to insure belongings

A massive condo flood earlier this week has left hundreds of Calgarians displaced.

Water pouring from the ceiling, landing on furniture and electronics, destroying the valuable property of tenets and owners.

RELATED: Hundreds of Calgarians evacuated from condo building after water leak

The incident serves as a reminder to protect your items before it’s too late.

“In a flood like that, chances are that couch is soaked right through and is going in the garbage,” said Brent Tort, an account executive with Insureline Complete.

“You’re not going to dry it out, it won’t be functional anymore. Everything gets messy and by the time it dries out, it’s now covered in mold.”

He says tenant insurance is crucial in protecting your belongings from water, fire, and theft.

“’I’m not sure that I’ll need it and it will never happen to me.’ Well, it does happen to people.”

You may not realize the value of the items in your home, and costs can add up quick.

While things throughout your home may not seem like they cost a lot, collectively, it could cost you thousands of dollars.

“You buy it in bits and pieces, but if it’s gone in one fell swoop, good luck recovering from that,” said Tort.

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Betty Anderson was living in High River during the 2013 floods, she says she lost everything.

“Everything in the house was moldy, it was rotten, everything was warped, you couldn’t open up any of the drawers or anything,” she said.

Although she had tenant insurance, she says hers didn’t cover overland flooding.

“If a pipe would have burst in the house or if it would have been a sewer backup, then I would have been covered. Because it was overland flooding, it was an act of God, nothing was covered.”

A sad reminder to always check the fine print and know how you are protected.