Insurers in Australia have already received 3645 claims as per the latest tally from the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) even as the floods in the country's Mid North Coast and Hunter and Greater Sydney regions of New South Wales continue to rage.
According to ICA about 80% of the claims received were personal property claims, with the rest being commercial or motor claims. The Mid Coast LGA had the most claims, totalling 888, followed by Central Coast with 546, and Lake Macquarie with ?467.
As many flood-hit begin their long recovery process, the ICA has also reminded policy-holders they can begin to clean up their property without waiting for an assessor.?
ICA CEO Andrew Hall said, “While clean-up is well and truly underway in many communities, safety is always the number one priority. Flood waters can bring debris and cause electrical damage, so we encourage locals to take extra precaution and follow advice of local authorities.
“We're looking forward to getting to Taree next week and helping people get back on their feet. I encourage any impacted policyholders to come along and speak with your insurer.”
He said, “We're also in discussion with the New South Wales Reconstruction Authority about having an insurer presence at local recovery centres across the Mid North Coast. We'll communicate this information as soon as plans are in place.”
“We acknowledge that for many community members, this event is far from over with flood waters only just beginning to recede in some areas,” said Mr Hall.
According to a government estimate at least 10,000 properties have been affected by the current floods.