Cyclone insurance claims soar

More than 31,000 claims were lodged across the southeast after ex-tropical cyclone Alfred dealt widespread damage to thousands of houses, properties and cars. See where the most claims were made.

More than 31,000 claims were lodged across the southeast after ex-tropical cyclone Alfred dealt widespread damage to thousands of houses, properties and cars, a leading Australian insurer has revealed.

A post-event assessment report by Suncorp found Brisbane was the hardest hit region, accounting for 52 per cent of claims, followed by the Gold Coast (34.9 per cent) and the Richmond-Tweed region (7.2 per cent).

Since Tuesday, 31,140 claims related to the weather event had been lodged, including 28,404 home insurance claims. The majority lodged were for roofs, gutters, and properties impacted by fallen trees and branches.

Another 9730 claims were related to food spoilage after strong, destructive winds caused prolonged power outages.

Suncorp CEO Steve Johnston said the insurer’s disaster management centre strengthened its capacity to communicate and quickly help South East Queenslanders through the extreme weather event.

“This report demonstrates how our investment to build a best-in-class Disaster Management Centre (DMC) is enabling us to mobilise faster and reach more customers sooner,” he said.

“We are committed to continuing to improve by investing in our processes to better identify customers experiencing a vulnerability and deliver timely support when it’s needed most.”

Originally published as Cyclone insurance claims soar