Travel insurance with natural disaster cover

You can't control nature, but you can control how it affects you. If you buy your policy before a natural disaster becomes a known event (i.e. advised by the media or government), you could be covered for your expenses. This is one of the main reasons we suggest taking travel insurance as soon as you book your trip - you never know what could happen!

Compare travel insurance brands with natural disaster cover

Finally, some good news! Domestic travel is picking up, so some insurers have started offering cover again 🦘
Just remember, you won't be covered for any pandemic related claims if you do take out domestic travel insurance.
International travel insurance is limited and sometimes unavailable at this point.

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How do different brands on Finder cover natural disasters?

Brand	Travel insurance that covers natural disasters	Apply
1cover	If a natural disaster interrupts your pre-paid travel arrangements, you're covered up to the policy limit for cancellation fees and lost deposits.
American Express	You will be covered for reasonable and necessary additional hotel accommodation and transport expenses that are the result of a natural disaster.
Budget Direct	If your scheduled or connecting transport is cancelled, delayed, shortened or diverted because of natural disaster or weather, you'll be covered for your reasonable additional travel and accommodation expenses.
Columbus Direct	You are covered up to the amount stated your product disclosure statement (PDS) if your trip is necessarily and unavoidably cancelled as a result of a regulation from the government of your country of residence following an epidemic or natural disaster that stops you from travelling. You are covered for travel delay and abandonment of trip in the event that the departure of the carrier with which you have arranged to travel is delayed by at least 6 hours from the time shown in the official itinerary as supplied to you due to adverse weather conditions. Abandonment cover requires a delay of over 12 hours. You are covered for expenses related to missed departure/connection due to a natural disaster in your country of residence You are covered for necessary and reasonable additional travel and accommodation expenses if a disruption to your trip arises from adverse weather conditions or a natural disaster in your country of residence.
fastcover	Cover for cancellation fees and lost deposits for pre-paid travel arrangements due to unforeseen natural disasters. In addition, you will be covered for your reasonable additional travel and accommodation expenses if a disruption to your trip is from weather or natural disaster.
InsureandGo	You're covered if you cannot travel as a result of a natural disaster for cancellation and trip curtailment.
itrek	Cover for cancellation fees and lost deposits for pre-paid travel arrangements due to unforeseen natural disasters. In addition, you will be covered for your reasonable additional travel and accommodation expenses if a disruption to your trip is from weather or natural disaster.
	You're covered for additional accommodation and transportation expenses as a result of natural disasters.
Skiinsurance.com.au	Cover for cancellation fees and lost deposits for pre-paid travel arrangements due to unforeseen natural disasters. In addition, you will be covered for your reasonable additional travel and accommodation expenses if a disruption to your trip is from weather or natural disaster.
Tick	As an optional extra you can get covered if you cannot travel as a result of a natural disaster for cancellation and trip curtailment.
Travel Insurance Saver	If your pre-paid scheduled public transport services or pre-paid tour have been cancelled or restricted because of severe weather, natural disaster you're covered for cancellation and additional expenses.
Travel Insuranz	You are covered in the event your trip is necessarily and unavoidably cancelled prior to departure or curtailed before completion because of a natural disaster. Catastrophe cover provides a benefit for necessary and reasonable additional travel and accommodation expenses incurred in the event that you are forced to move from pre-booked accommodation to continue your trip, or if the trip cannot be continued, to return home as a result of hurricane, storm or other natural disaster.
Virgin	Cover for cancellation fees and lost deposits for pre-paid travel arrangements due to unforeseen natural disasters. In addition, you will be covered for your reasonable additional travel and accommodation expenses if a disruption to your trip is from weather or natural disaster.
World Care	Cover for cancellation fees and lost deposits for pre-paid travel arrangements due to unforeseen natural disasters. In addition, you will be covered for your reasonable additional travel and accommodation expenses if a disruption to your trip is from weather or natural disaster.
youGo	You're covered for additional hotel accommodation and additional transport expenses you incur due to a natural disaster.

Does travel insurance cover natural disasters?

Yes - as long as you had insurance before the natural disaster occurred. Most comprehensive policies will cover:

• Trip cancellation costs. Insurance can reimburse your costs if you have to cancel your pre-paid flights and other bookings if a natural disaster strikes your destination. It can also apply to natural disasters that strike at home before you leave (for example if you get injured or your home gets destroyed).
• Additional travel expenses. This will cover unexpected travel expenses like brand new flights and alternative accommodation if you're completely rerouted due to natural disaster.
• Travel delay expenses. This is similar to the above but applies to temporary inconveniences you suffer when your transportation is delayed. For example, if a storm delays your flight by 6 hours, your insurance can reimburse you for extras meals at the airport and even temporary accommodation if you need it.
• Alternative transport costs. If a natural disaster delays your transportation and you're due at a special event like a wedding, some policies will pay for alternative transportation to the event.
• Cutting your trip short. Some policies will pay for you to safely return to Australia Australia if a disaster disrupts your plans while you are travelling.
• Resuming your journey. Some policies will pay for you to return to your travel destination when it's safe to do so.
• Damage to your belongings. Insurance can replace your luggage, belongings, passport and other documents if they are damaged in the disaster.
• Emergency medical expenses. International policies can help pay for your medical expenses including emergency evacuation or repatriation to Australia if you are injured in a natural disaster.

In rare cases, some insurers won't cover you for natural disasters at all unless you buy a "natural disaster" add-on. So without the add-on, you wouldn't be able to make a claim if a natural disaster caused you to cancel your trip – even if you had cancellation cover.

What is considered a natural disaster?

Most insurers have a fairly similar list of events they consider to be natural disasters. These natural disasters include the following:

The disaster also has to create significant obstacles to your travel, such as causing your destination to be uninhabitable or triggering a state of emergency.

How to find the best travel insurance for natural disasters

Here are some tips to make sure that you're covered for a natural disaster before you set off on your trip:

• Take out a comprehensive policy. A comprehensive policy is the level that offers the widest range of protection and is likely to cover most of the events described above. However, a rare few don't and will make you purchase a natural disaster add-on instead.
• Look for a policy that offers a natural disaster add-on. Some policies exclude natural disaster cover for everything but injuries and property damage unless you buy their natural disaster add-on - but these are quite rare. But once you purchase that, you'll be covered for most of the events described above.
• Read the relevant sections of your policy documents. Most insurers will explain whether natural disasters are covered on an event-by-event basis. For example, you'll want to look in the trip cancellation section of your policy documents to see if you're covered for trip cancellation related to natural disasters. Same goes for the other sections like the cutting your trip short section and the resumption of journey section.
• Keep an eye out for the terms "events outside of your control". Some policies won't mention natural disasters in every section of your policy. However, if the wording states you're covered "due to events outside your control", you'll usually be covered for natural disasters unless it specifically states otherwise.

Does travel insurance cover weather delays?

Yes, and it works similarly to the situations described above, with all of the same requirements. If your flight is delayed or your cruise ship is stuck in port because of bad weather, you're eligible to claim for any activity you need to cancel as listed under "cancellation" above, plus food and accommodation charges while you wait (depending on how long the delay is).

What else does travel insurance for natural disasters cover?

Travel insurance doesn’t just stop at paying you back for general travel expenses related to natural disasters. It can also cover you if you are injured in a natural disaster as long as your policy includes medical cover. Depending on your level of cover, this can include the following:

What isn't covered by travel insurance for natural disasters?

All insurance policies will contain a list of situations where you would not be covered (called exclusions). Here are some common reasons you wouldn't be covered:

• You take out the policy too late. You have to buy the policy before the disaster becomes public knowledge. This can even be before the disaster strikes. For example, experts know in advance when a cyclone is likely to hit. If you buy your policy after they name the storm, it's already too late and you won't be covered.
• Your expenses are unreasonable. When you are covered for expenses as a result of a delay or for alternate travel arrangements, you will only be covered for a reasonable amount. They won't cover you for a last-minute stay in a 5-star penthouse suite.
• Bad weather. Your destination will need to be uninhabitable for claims to be paid. Bad weather is not enough for an insurer to pay out.
• Ignoring travel warnings. If you disregard governmental travel warnings and travel to a destination that has recently been devastated by a natural disaster, you run the risk of having your claims denied due to acting recklessly.
• You waited too long to cancel certain arrangements. You may be denied if you were charged any cancellation fees that you could have avoided by telling the travel provider as soon as you knew you had to cancel.

Anymore questions?

• What if disaster strikes and I still decide to go?

  If natural disaster strikes your destination after you buy your insurance but before you depart for your trip, your insurance will pay your cancellation costs. But if you still decide to go, you could have trouble claiming while you are there.

  Remember, to be eligible to claim, a natural disaster must make it impossible for you to travel due to situations like a state of emergency being called or your destination being uninhabitable. Most insurers have clauses in the contract that says they won't cover you if you knowingly put yourself in harm's way or travel somewhere the Australian government has advised travellers to avoid.

  Your best bet is to claim for your cancellation costs and either go somewhere else or wait until it's safe to travel to your original destination.

• Can I cancel because of bad weather?

  No. You won't be covered if you want to cancel your trip because of weather you don't like, for example your beach destination is experiencing minor thunderstorms. On the other hand, a cyclone that rips the beach apart would be an acceptable claim!

• What if I have to cut my trip short mid-trip?

  If you have to cancel your plans mid-trip, natural disaster cover really shines. Depending on your policy, you can find cover for the following:

  • Any cancellation expenses from that point forward
  • Additional travel arrangements like meals and a place to stay if you are stranded somewhere
  • Whatever it costs to get you back onto your original schedule once the weather settles
  • Flights back to Australia if your destination is uninhabitable
  • Flights back to your destination at a later date if the disaster forced you to return home

  All the same rules for cancellation cover apply here: you're only covered if you purchased your policy before you knew about the natural disaster, it needs to be outside of your control and you must have no other way of getting your money back.

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