Thanks for your thoughtful response.
Here's a link to an article in the Globe & Mail.
B.C. floods will be Canada’s most expensive natural disaster this year - The Globe and Mail
Other articles also mention that flood insurance is often not obtainable, suggesting that much of the cost may/will be borne by the Government/taxpayers and/or the unfortunate property owners.
Fairfax is, of course, in the business of insurance ... their expertise is in pricing risks appropriately and holding sufficient reserves to deal with the consequences. In that context, one should expect the losses to be manageable.
My interest is partly motivated by the timing with respect to the SIB. If Fairfax makes an announcement prior to completion of the SIB, might that change the possible dynamics of the outcome? For example, a drop in the current price might make tendering more attractive; provide an opportunity to add to positions; etc. The timing of an announcement might be quite significant. If Fairfax has developed an estimate and the number is material, must they disclose immediately? Or could they deliberately put off making an announcement until after completion of the SIB?
While none of this is knowable in advance, I am curious what this well informed forum thinks.
And, yes, it would be good to hear from Parsad given both his expertise and his long-time close experience with FFH which might perhaps give him better insight into how FFH will think about the timing of an announcement.