Preparing Your Home and Business for Severe Weather Events

Living in Australia, we know how quickly sunny skies can turn into storm clouds. This summer, the Bureau of Meteorology has officially declared that Australia is now in an active La Niña phase, which is expected to raise the risk of storms, hail, flooding and cyclones.

La Niña is a natural phase of Australia’s weather cycle that occurs every few years due to changes in ocean temperatures in the equatorial band of the Pacific Ocean.

The last La Niña event stretched from 2010 to 2012, bringing with it the wettest two years on record with heavy rainfalls across Australia and some of the biggest floods in significant areas of Queensland.

What do you need to be ready?

Make sure you have the right cover for your circumstances

Talk to your broker about the following:

Ensure that your insurance is up to date and relevant to your present circumstances.
Review the amount you are covered for, check that it covers the replacement value of the items you would like to insure.

Minimise your exposure to the impact of extreme weather events

Take the time to prepare your premises for severe weather:

Inspect properties for potential hazards
- Check roof, pipes and gutter to ensure no leakage and blockages
- Trim trees away from buildings
- Move vehicles undercover away from trees and secure movable outdoor objects
Stock up on extra non-perishable food and drinkable water
Prepare an emergency kit with working flashlights, extra batteries, cash, medical supplies and important documents

For more tips on preparing for extreme weathers, please refer to the below resources shared by Allianz:

Lodge a claim

If there are any damages, there are a few simple steps you can do before making a claim:

keep photographic or video evidence of the damage prior to clean up
Make a list of repair and replace items
Advise your broker or insurer as soon it is safely possible

Contact Us

At Optimum Insurance Services, we pride ourselves on our fast and efficient claims service. If your insurance is with us and you need to make a claim for whatever reason, you can relax knowing that we will be there to assist you throughout the process. It’s all part of the service.

To notify of a claim click here or if you need advice, call us on 1300 739 861.

Disclaimer – “This material contains general information only and may not suit your particular circumstances. To decide if a policy is right for you please carefully read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and/or Policy wording. While we have exercised due care and skill in preparing this information, Optimum Insurance Services (Optimum) does not accept any legal responsibility or liability for negligence or otherwise to you or anyone else who seeks to rely on this information. This includes, without limitation, loss arising from a possible failure of the information to comply with statutory or regulatory requirements or the failure of the information to identify other terms and conditions beyond those considered in this document. You should obtain advice to ensure that your policy provides adequate cover for your circumstances. “Optimum Insurance Services Pty Ltd is a Corporate Authorised Representative of Insurance Advisernet Australia Pty Ltd (Car No. 291220), Australian Financial Services Licence No 240549, ABN 15 003 886 687.”