A look at the federal dollar figures behind natural disasters over the years

OTTAWA — The federal government has been spending steadily more on natural disaster assistance since 1970, according to a recent review of payments under the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements program. The numbers: 

$10 million: Average annual cost of Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) between 1970 and 1995.

$110 million: Average annual cost between 1996 and 2010.

$360 million: Average annual cost between 2011 and 2016.

$4.1 billion: Amount of money Ottawa paid out under DFAA between 1970 and 2014.

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$1.8 billion (44 per cent): Share of overall spending, in total and percentage, paid out over the last five years.

$1.9 billion: Amount of money outstanding for claims made between 2010 and 2014.

257: Events resulting in a DFAA designation between 1970 and May 11, 2017.

27 per cent: Percentage of those designations that were for events occurring since 2010.

90 per cent: Percentage of claims since 2010 for flooding that were related to spring run-off or rainstorms.

Eight per cent: Percentage of claims since 2010 that were related to fires.

The Canadian Press