How to protect your home against storm damage - and how home insurance can help.
Storms can be relentless in their damage: lightning that sends a nearby tree into your roof, rainwater that gathers in your basement and drenches your furniture, hail the size of golf balls that shatter your windows.
While homes are built to keep out the wind and the rain, there’s only so much four walls and a roof can do against the fury of a storm. Whether you're concerned about floods, storm surge, or what the definition of storms even is, you'll find it here. We’ve compiled a quick guide to help you navigate the ins and outs of insuring against storms. After all, when the wind comes a knocking, you want to make sure you’re prepared.
When umbrellas can't protect you - home insurance can
What is storm insurance?
Storm insurance is provided as part of home and contents insurance policies. It offers financial protection if your home or any of your insured possessions are damaged or destroyed due to a storm.
Protection against storm damage is a standard feature on home and contents policies. It covers repair or rebuilding costs following damage to your home, and repair or replacement costs for possessions that suffer damage. Additional benefits, such as temporary accommodation costs while your home is not fit to live in following a storm, are also included.
How does your insurer define a storm?
We’ve all heard horror stories about insurance companies refusing claims based on a minor technicality, falling back on legal jargon and definitions as justification for rejecting claims from distraught homeowners. With this in mind, it’s important to be aware of just what constitutes a storm as far as your home and contents insurer is concerned.
So, what causes storm damage that will be covered by your home insurance policy? Australian insurers commonly define a storm as "a violent disturbance of the atmosphere". Storm can refer to violent wind (including cyclones and tornadoes), thunderstorms and hail, which may in some cases be accompanied by rain or snow.
Thunderstorms typically cause the most damage with hail, flash flooding, strong gusts of wind, lightning, flash flooding and tornadoes. Meanwhile, land gales refer to gale-force winds that occur over land.
What’s the difference between a storm and a flood?
The definition of a storm is different from how insurers define a flood. The standard definition of flood in Australia is:
"The covering of normally dry land by water that has escaped or been released from the normal confines of:
- any lake, or any river, creek, or other natural watercourse, whether or not altered or modified; or
- any reservoir, canal, or dam."
Rainwater vs floodwater: what’s covered?
Water damage, regardless of whether it’s caused by a storm or by a flooded river, can have a significant financial impact on Aussie homeowners. However, there are some key differences in how these water-related events are covered by insurers.
Flood cover varies between insurers – some policies don’t include it, others provide it as an extra-cost option, while some insurers provide this cover as standard. Read your PDS closely to determine whether or not your policy covers flood, and find out more about how this type of cover works in our comprehensive guide to flood insurance.
However, even if your policy does not provide flood cover, it will still cover you for loss or damage caused by rainwater. The term "rainwater" usually refers to water that falls naturally from the sky, and includes rainwater run-off over the surface of the land and rainwater that overflows from stormwater drains.
In some cases it will include damage caused by flash flooding, and in other cases it will not. With this in mind, we have to hark back to the same key point: read the PDS closely before choosing a policy. This will allow you to work out exactly what sort of storm, rainwater and flood damage is and is not covered.
King tides, storm surges and actions of the sea
All of these events are caused by the movement of seawater, resulting in inundation and potentially significant damage to your home and contents. If your home is located near the coast, this could pose a major risk of damage.
Unfortunately, king tides and other actions of the sea are usually excluded from cover, but damage caused by tsunamis is typically covered. Storm surges are also a common exclusion, except when they occur at the same time as a flood (and your policy offers flood cover), in which case your claim will be accepted.
How do Australian home insurers treat storm and flood damage?
| What is covered? | What isn't covered? |
|---|---|
Including loss or damage from:
Including loss or damage caused by erosion, subsidence, landslide, mudslide or any other earth movement that occurs within 72 hours of a storm or heavy rain and as a result of that storm or heavy rain |
|
| What is covered? | What isn't covered? |
|---|---|
Including loss or damage from:
Including damage or loss caused by erosion, landslide, mudslide, subsidence or any other earth movement that occurs within 72 hours of a storm |
|
| What is covered? | What isn't covered? |
|---|---|
Including loss or damage from:
Including loss or damage caused by erosion, subsidence, landslide, mudslide or any other earth movement that occurs within 72 hours of a storm or heavy rain and as a result of that storm or heavy rain |
|
| What is covered? | What isn't covered? |
|---|---|
Including loss or damage from:
Including loss or damage caused by erosion, subsidence, landslide, mudslide or any other earth movement that occurs within 72 hours of a storm or heavy rain and as a result of that storm or heavy rain |
|
| What is covered? | What isn't covered? |
|---|---|
Including loss or damage from:
Including loss or damage caused by erosion, subsidence, landslide, mudslide or any other earth movement that occurs within 72 hours of a storm or heavy rain and as a result of that storm or heavy rain |
|
| What is covered? | What isn't covered? |
|---|---|
|
We also do not pay for the cost of cleaning or removing mud or debris out of swimming pools and spas and replacing the water |
| What is covered? | What isn't covered? |
|---|---|
|
|
How to lodge a claim after storm damage
1. Assess the damage. Once the storm has passed and it’s safe to go outside, inspect your home, contents and property for any damage. Make sure to take any reasonable steps to prevent any further loss or damage to your property, but be aware that your insurer will not allow you to make any repairs until they have assessed the damage. If emergency repairs are required, contact your insurer for advice on what you can do.
2. Gather evidence. Supporting documentation will be crucial to the success of your claim, so start gathering proof of the damage and loss you have suffered. Make a list of everything that has been damaged or destroyed, and gather any information you can about make, model and date of purchase. Take photographs of damage to your home and contents and keep receipts if you need to buy essential items like food or bedding.
3. Lodge a claim. The next step is to lodge a claim with your insurer. You will usually have to fill out a claim form with full details of the storm and the damage it caused. Forms are available through the insurer’s website or by phoning the insurer, and you’ll need to include any supporting documentation requested by the insurer with your claim form.
4. Claim assessment. The insurance company will send out an assessor to inspect the damage and assess your claim. Make sure that you co-operate fully with the assessor, but also remember that it’s their job to make sure your claim amount is kept to a minimum. In some cases, the assessor may arrange for a hydrologist to determine the cause of the storm or flood damage.
5. Claim payment. If your claim is accepted, your insurer will pay out a benefit to cover your loss or damage.
Tips on making a storm insurance claim
Keep the following tips in mind to help the claims process run as smoothly as possible:
- Understand your cover. You may be unaware of some benefits that you are eligible to claim under your home and contents insurance policy. For example, did you know that many policies pay a benefit to cover temporary accommodation costs if your home is unlivable following an insured event? Read the PDS closely so you’re fully aware of everything you’re entitled to claim.
- Gather as much evidence as possible. Compile as much evidence as you can of the damage caused to your home and contents. Make an inventory of damaged items, include before and after photographs where possible, and remember to supply receipts, bank statements or other proof of ownership.
- Fast-tracking. Under the General Insurance Code of Practice, insurers must fast-track your claim following a storm, flood or cyclone if you are in urgent financial need. For example, you may need money for alternative accommodation or basic living requirements, so proving this urgent financial need to your insurer could speed up the processing of your claim.
- How to complain. If you’re unhappy with the result of your claim, you can raise the matter with your insurer’s internal complaints resolution department. If that doesn’t resolve the issue to your satisfaction, the next step is to contact the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA).
General exclusions to be aware of
Finding storm insurance cover for your home can be complex and confusing, and it’s important to be fully aware of what your policy does and doesn’t cover when it comes to storms, floods and rainwater damage. To find out what’s not covered, search for the list of general exclusions in the PDS. Some common storm insurance exclusions are:
- No cover if your claim is for loss or damage from a flood or named cyclone that occurs within a certain time frame (for example 72 hours) after you first take out cover
- No cover for high tides or king tides
- No cover for storm surges that do not occur at the same time as a flood (if your policy includes flood cover)
- No cover for actions of the sea (except tsunami)
- No cover for flood water combined with run-off or rainwater (if flood cover is not included)
- No cover for soil movement such as landslide or erosion
- No cover for loss or damage to gates, fences and retaining walls
- No cover if rainwater enters your building due to a structural defect, faulty design or your failure to adequately maintain your home
- No cover for loss or damage caused by wind, rainwater, hail or snow entering your home through an open window or door or any opening not made by the storm
Common storm insurance traps
Don’t get caught out by these common storm insurance traps:
- Not knowing what’s covered. Working out the difference between rainwater, floodwater, run-off and all other types of water damage, not to mention determining what is covered by your policy, can be confusing. If in doubt, contact your insurer for detailed information about what your policy does and doesn’t cover.
- The flood cover conundrum. Some people pay extra for a policy that includes mandatory flood cover when their home is highly unlikely to ever suffer flood damage; others don’t have any flood cover in place when it might actually be essential. Check out flood maps and historical weather details to decide whether you need to purchase flood cover or whether it’s an unnecessary expense.
- Rainwater and floodwater damage. In certain circumstances, your home may be damaged by both rainwater and floodwater. If this happens, some insurers that don’t offer flood cover will automatically exclude your claim. However, you may be eligible to claim in some situations, such as if the rainwater entered your home and caused damage first.
What to do if your home is damaged by rainwater and floodwater
If your home suffers damage caused by both rainwater and floodwater, if your insurer does not cover flood damage then your claim may be rejected. However, there are a couple of situations where you may still be eligible to claim:
- If the rainwater damage occurred first. Perhaps the heavy rain that inundated your house caused the water level to rise and then stop. Then a second wave of water – floodwater – entered your house, so you may be able to claim for the initial damage caused by the rainwater.
- If the floodwater caused minimal damage. In cases where the amount of floodwater is relatively insignificant when compared to the amount of rainwater, the insurer may be required to pay your claim.
If your claim is refused in one of the above scenarios, you will need to consider whether the damage that occurred was caused by floodwater as it is defined in your policy. If the water that damaged your home escaped from a source that cannot be defined as a natural watercourse – for example, if it was constructed by the council as a stormwater drain or if the water escaped from a creek that has had its boundaries significantly altered by humans – you may be able to argue that it was not floodwater and that it is therefore covered by your policy.
Storm insurance for cars
If you want to protect your vehicle against storm damage, you’ll need to invest in comprehensive car insurance. This usually includes cover for hail, wind and flood damage, but as always you should check the PDS for full details of the cover available.
If your car is damaged in a storm, keep a few simple tips in mind to help the claims process run as smoothly as possible:
- Take photos of the damage, including close-up and distance shots
- Avoid removing any debris until your insurer gives you the okay (of course, if you need to move debris for safety reasons, try to get a photo first)
- Call your insurer as soon as possible to notify them of the damage and find out whether you’re covered
- Don’t authorise any repairs before contacting your insurer
Check out our guide to car insurance claims for storm damage for more information.
Storm checklist
Before the storm
- Check your gutters. Make sure that your gutters and downpipes are free of any debris; if they’re blocked, overflowing water could flood your home.
- Check your roof. Make sure there are no loose or damaged tiles on your roof, or raised edges on corrugated metal – these could be turned into dangerous projectiles by strong wind.
- Trim trees. Make sure to prune back any tree branches that overhang your home.
- Secure loose items. From outdoor furniture to kids’ toys, make sure any loose items in your yard are secured and won’t turn into flying projectiles.
- Put together a storm kit. Make sure to include first aid supplies, a torch, batteries, water, non-perishable food and blankets. A radio can also come in handy to keep up to date with weather reports and evacuation notices.
- Move cars inside. Damage caused by hail or falling trees could cause your vehicle to be written off.
- Secure doors, windows and awnings. This can help protect your home against damage.
During the storm
- Stay inside. Stay inside out of the danger and make sure to remain well away from windows.
- Listen for updates. Keep a radio handy to listen for storm updates.
- Stay safe. Don’t go outside until you’re sure it’s safe to do so.
After the storm
- Stay clear of fallen power lines. Electrocution is a big risk following a storm.
- Avoid floodwaters. Don’t try to drive through floodwaters or allow your kids to play in or near them.
- Avoid storm-affected areas. Don’t travel through storm-affected areas unless absolutely necessary.
- Check for damage. Thoroughly inspect your house and property for damage, taking photos as you go.
- Call your insurer. Contact your storm insurance provider with the details of your claim.
Picture: Markus Gebauer / Shutterstock.com
We are with Budget Direct – Home and Contents insurance. We had a roof leak and damaged TV and were compensated. At the front of the block we have a large tree that was struck by lightning. The fire was extinguished by the SESD/. A branch has already fallen and an arborist said the tree has white ants and is dying. It needs to be removed.Is this claimable on home insurance as it is a result of storm damage?
Hi James,
Thank you for your enquiry. According to the Budget Direct PDS, no payment will be made for “loss or damage caused by power surge or fluctuation that is not a result of a lightning strike.” You should be covered for damage that has occurred from lightning but it is not clear if you are able to claim for expenses incurred if no damage has yet occurred. It would be best to get in touch with Budget Direct to discuss further.
Thank you for your enquiry and all the best,
Will
After the weather event of 2013 in Qld we had a motorbike ,quad bike and tools in our shed what is covered under the insurance can we claim the motor bike and the quad bike as Suncorp is going to pay for tools and the shed as I understand
Hi Devo,
Thanks for your question. It will depend on your policy and its conditions. Your best bet would be to contact your insurer directly as they will be able to tell you the specifics of your cover.
I hope this was helpful,
Richard