Preparing for Spring Storms After Australia’s $1.4 Billion Storm Season

Spring is often associated with warmer weather and longer days. For property owners, however, it also marks the beginning of a period of heightened exposure to severe storms, hail and extreme weather.

And the financial impact can be significant.

In 2025, Australia recorded almost $3.5 billion in insured losses from 264,000 extreme weather claims. More than $1.4 billion of those losses came from severe storms and hail across Queensland and New South Wales during October and November alone.

These figures highlight the scale of Australia's exposure to severe weather. They also raise an important question for property owners:

Are you prepared for the insurance claim that follows the storm?

Storm preparedness is not only about protecting a property from physical damage. It is also about understanding your insurance position, documenting the property's condition, and knowing what evidence may be required if damage occurs.

Australia's Storm Risk Is Changing 

Australia's severe weather risk is not uniform, and the type of storm exposure varies significantly by location.

Tropical cyclones primarily affect northern Australia, while East Coast Lows can impact southern Queensland, New South Wales and eastern Victoria. Both can bring destructive winds, heavy rainfall and storm surge, creating significant risks for buildings and infrastructure.

Hail presents another increasingly important consideration. Research indicates that hail-prone conditions are projected to shift towards higher latitudes under warming scenarios, with increases identified in parts of southeastern Australia. This suggests that, in some regions, hail risk could become increasingly concentrated during the colder months.

As weather patterns and property risks evolve, understanding a property's potential exposure is increasingly important for both insurance arrangements and claims preparedness. 

Five Things to Consider Before Storm Season 

As we enter spring, property owners across Australia are facing increased exposure to severe storms, hail, and extreme weather. 

Preparing for the season is about more than clearing gutters and securing outdoor furniture. The steps taken before an event can influence how easily damage is assessed, how clearly the cause of loss is established and how effectively an insurance claim is managed. 

Before the next major weather event, consider these five areas. 

1. Is the Condition of Your Property Documented? 

Before storm season, property owners and managers should consider:

• conducting roof and external building inspections

• clearing gutters, downpipes and drainage systems

• checking for existing leaks, deterioration or damaged materials

• reviewing previous maintenance and repair records

• confirming that important building documentation is accessible

• checking insurance policies and relevant exclusions

• updating photographs of the property's current condition

This creates a baseline.

If damage occurs later, there is a clear record of the property's condition before the event.

That distinction can become particularly valuable when an insurer needs to determine whether damage is new, pre-existing or related to the storm itself.

2. Do You Understand What Your Policy Covers?

It is often only after significant property damage occurs that policyholders begin closely examining their Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), definitions, exclusions and policy conditions.

Following a major storm, an insurer may need to determine whether damage resulted from wind, hail, stormwater, flooding, storm surge, water ingress or pre-existing deterioration.

Where multiple causes contribute to a loss, determining how the policy responds can become complex.

Before storm season, consider asking:

• When was the last time I reviewed my policy?

• Do I understand the relevant storm, flood and water damage definitions?

• Are there exclusions or policy conditions that could affect a future claim?

• Is my Sum Insured still adequate given current construction and rebuilding costs?

Understanding these issues before a loss occurs places property owners in a much stronger position if they later need to rely on their insurance.

3. Do You Know What to Do Immediately After a Storm?

Following a severe storm, urgent action may be required to prevent further damage.

This could include tarping a damaged roof, removing water or securing broken windows.

Where it is safe to do so, photograph the damage before temporary repairs begin and retain all invoices and receipts. Permanent repairs should generally not proceed before the insurer or relevant experts have had an opportunity to inspect the damage, unless immediate action is necessary to protect people or property.

The objective is to mitigate further loss without removing the evidence required to assess the original damage.

Emergency repairs protect the property. Good documentation helps protect the claim.

4. Could the Cause or Extent of Damage Be Disputed?

Storm claims are not always straightforward.

A single weather event can result in damage across multiple areas of a property and raise questions around causation, maintenance, construction defects, repair methodology and the extent of the loss.

In these circumstances, a standard repair assessment may not provide everything required to properly establish the claim.

Technical evidence can become particularly important where an insurer disputes the cause or extent of damage.

5. Do You Know When Specialist Claims Support May Be Required?

Complex claims can quickly become difficult to navigate without the right technical evidence and understanding of the policy.

A recent Pharos Loss Management case demonstrates this.

Following significant water ingress during a storm, an insurer denied a homeowner's $60,000 claim, citing alleged construction and maintenance defects.

Pharos prepared an expert report and assisted the client with their submission to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). The technical evidence and supporting submission helped overturn the denial, with the claim ultimately paid in full. 

The case demonstrates that when causation or coverage is disputed, the quality of the evidence supporting a claim can materially affect its outcome. 

Preparation Starts Before the Next Storm

Australia's $1.4 billion in severe storm and hail losses during October and November 2025 is a reminder of the scale of the country's extreme weather exposure.

While no property owner can prevent a major storm, understanding your insurance cover, documenting your property's condition and knowing when specialist claims support may be required can place you in a stronger position when damage occurs.

At Pharos Loss Management, we help homeowners, strata managers, body corporates and commercial property owners navigate complex claims, from technical assessments and evidence gathering through to insurer negotiations and resolution.

If you're reviewing your insurance arrangements or preparing for the upcoming storm season, contact Pharos Loss Management for a confidential discussion about your options.