'Prepare while it's safe' insurers tell homeowners as Cyclone Hale looms

Monday, 9 January 2023

Insurers are urging homeowners to prepare their properties while there is still time as Cyclone Hale approaches the North Island.

Homeowners are being urged to prepare their properties while it’s still safe to do so as tropical Cyclone Hale approaches New Zealand.

On Monday, Metservice issued heavy rain warnings for the Coromandel Peninsula, Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay from Monday night until Wednesday morning.

The heaviest falls were forecast to hit Gisborne, where 130mm to 180mm was expected. Large waves were expected to hit eastern coastlines from Northland to Wairarapa on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The flurry of warnings prompted insurers to issue their own on Monday afternoon, with both Tower and AA Insurance urging homeowners to prepare while they still had time.

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MetService says Cyclone Hale is a significant weather system despite being downgraded from a tropical cyclone.

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Tom Bartlett, AA Insurance head of home claims, said people may not have checked guttering or fencing over the holiday season.

But with Cyclone Hale bringing the potential for gale force winds and heavy rain to parts of the country which had already experienced a lot of rainfall this year, people needed to check their properties while it was safe to do so, he said.

It was particularly important to check areas of the home which were prone to flooding and prepare for what could be a short but intense period of bad weather.

Tower chief executive Blair Turnbull said there were practical steps homeowners could take to reduce their risk before, during and after a severe weather event.

Those included having a getaway kit (including clothes, medication and copies of important documents) on hand, storing valuable items as high off the floor as possible and unplugging electrical devices to avoid damage from power surges.

“Turn power off at the mains if water has entered your house. Don’t turn it back on again until it has been checked electrician,” he said.

“Be prepared to evacuate quickly if it becomes necessary and consider which is the safest exit route. If you need or choose to evacuate, make sure you do so safely and your property is secure by locking all doors and windows.”

Insurance claims related to extreme weather events topped $335 million last year, a new record for the country.

In 2021, the insurance industry paid $305 million as a result of weather-related claims, up from $274m of weather-related claims the year before, according to the Insurance Council.