Prepare for Natural Disasters: Storms, Bushfires and Floods

In Australia, heavy storms, especially thunderstorms, can cause heavy rainfall, lightning strikes and hail that can impact your home.

Here’s how you can prepare for storm season:

• Secure all loose items in your backyard or veranda including outdoor furniture, trampolines and building materials
• Clean and maintain your roof gutters
• Trim back overhanging branches and check whether any large trees pose a risk to your home
• Engage a professional to fix any damage to your roof
  Prepare a storm emergency kit
• Follow storm warning instructions in your area. You can also check the Bureau of Meteorology for more information.

For more information here is a further guide on how to prepare for storm season

Preparing your property for Bushfire season is a smart move

• Clear leaves, twigs, bark and other debris from the roof and gutters.
  Purchase and test the effectiveness of gutter plugs.
• Enclose open areas under decks and floors.
• Install fine steel wire mesh screens on all windows, doors, vents and weep holes.
• Install metal gutter guards.
• Point LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) cylinder relief valves — a fuel commonly used in most Australian BBQs — away from the house.
• Conduct maintenance checks on pumps, generators and water systems.
• Seal all gaps in the external roof and wall cladding.

• Display a prominent house or lot number in case of an emergency.
• Provide access to fire trucks around your property (at least four metres high and four metres wide).

• Reduce vegetation loads along the access path.
• Mow your grass regularly.
• Remove excess ground fuels and combustible material (long dry grass, dead leaves and branches).
• Trim low-lying branches two metres from the ground surrounding your home.

• Check you have enough protective clothing and equipment such as a waterproof torch.
• Relocate flammable items away from your home, including woodpiles, paper, boxes, crates, hanging baskets and garden furniture.
• Check your first-aid kit is fully stocked.
• Have a bushfire emergency plan.
• Follow bushfire warning instructions in your area. You can also check the Bureau of Meteorology for more information.
  
  

For more information here is a further guide on how to prepare for a bushfire.

In Australia, floods are very unpredictable and can occur at any time during the year.

Here’s what you need to do to prepare for a flood:

• Prepare a home emergency plan
• Prepare an emergency plan for pets
  
• Develop an evacuation plan based on your home and its surrounding
• Identify risks around your home
• Fix faults around your home
• Purchase an emergency weather radio
• Remove leaves, debris, and other items around the home that could cause or contribute to flooding
• Store any products that contain poisons or chemicals on higher shelves to reduce potential contamination of floodwater.
• Prepare a checklist of emergency documents
• Follow flood warning instructions in your area. You can also check the Bureau of Meteorology for more information.

For more information here is a further guide on how to prepare for a flood in Australia.

You can make a claim:

• Online
• By messaging with a team member
• By calling us on 1800 069 336

You can also follow our step-by-step instructions in the Home Claims Helper.