More than 20,000 claims filed since last week’s storm: MPI
Posted June 17, 2026 4:48 pm.
Last Updated June 18, 2026 7:41 am.
The dents on the vehicles may only be a few centimetres wide, but they’re creating a much bigger headache for Manitoba drivers, as Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) says it has received more than 20,000 storm-related claims after the June 9 storm that swept through southern Manitoba.
MPI says it expects those numbers to surpass the previous single-event record of 24,000 claims set in 1996.
Following last week’s storm, repair shops are now seeing a wave of vehicles damaged by hail as customers begin the process of getting them fixed.
“It’s just been nuts,” says Dennis Holigroski, owner of The DENTist Paintless Dent Removal in Winnipeg. “The phone hasn’t stopped.”
Holigroski says hi company is working with MPI.“They’ve allowed us this time around, like all accredited MPI shops, to assess the damage,” Holigroski said. “That way it just saves them a whole lot of stress.”
The damage itself can vary significantly. While some vehicles suffered only minor dents, others may require replacement panels and more extensive repairs.
Holigroski said some dents can be fixed in a day after his crew sends the pictures and gets approval from MPI.
“Other ones, like I looked at a Tacoma this morning, and that one probably needs a new hood, a new roof, like just big welts, like huge where the metal is almost overstretched,” he said.
For many drivers, the damage may be worse than it first appears.
“Unless it’s a bigger hit, you’re not really going to see it,” Holigroski says. “We’ve had so many calls, like, ‘I think I just have one dent on my hood’, and as soon as you pull it in the shop, it just like lights up like a Christmas tree.”
With assessment appointments already booking into July, Holigroski says repair shops are preparing for what could be a busy summer.
“The thing that scares me, it’s not even July or August yet,” he said.
