AMI, State And NZI Response To Flooding In Nelson, Tasman And Marlborough Regions

AMI, State and NZI Insurance are actively supporting customers affected by the heavy rain in Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough over the last week that has caused significant flooding, damage to homes, land, belongings, businesses, and motor vehicles.

Our people are available at the Nelson Community Hub at the Trafalgar Centre to help our AMI, State, NZI, NAC, Lumley, Lantern, ASB, BNZ, Westpac and the Co-operative Bank customers with their claims, as well as offer general insurance support. The hub has been open since 8.30 am last Friday, with a steady stream of customers welcoming the face-to-face support.

As of 8am this morning, we’ve received 563 claims, with more likely to follow once customers are able to return home to the worst affected areas, and it’s safe for them to assess the damage. Many of our customers are reporting damage from water ingress and flooding to their homes and property with reports of vehicles being flooded also.

Our assessors have been on the ground since Friday and are underway in making contact with our most impacted customers to review the extent of the damage.

While Nelson and Tasman regions appear to be the worst affected by this recent heavy rain, we’ve also had claims in Northland, Auckland, Taranaki, Wellington and Marlborough for landslips and flood damage.

AMI, State and NZI recently released a three step plan for natural hazard prone New Zealand homes as part of our commitment to being part of the solution. You can read it here.

Often during a storm or flood, it’s difficult to know the full extent of damage to your home, belongings, business, or vehicle, especially if you need to leave your property, as is the case here with many people being evacuated for their safety.

We encourage our customers to get in touch once it is safe to do so, and once they have had a chance to assess the damage, or if they need support from us.

We are here to help and the quickest way our customers can make an insurance claim is online, but if they prefer to speak to someone, they can of course give us a call. Please note our NZI customers should contact their broker in the first instance.

While most of the weather has eased in all parts of the country, we encourage those affected by this recent severe weather to continue to follow safety advice and guidance from Civil Defence and local authorities.

Those who have experienced damage as a result of the rain and flooding may find the following information useful:

What to do if your property is damaged during a storm or flood:

• Ensure you and your whānau are safe first. There is no hurry to make a claim, but as soon as you’re able to let us know about any damage to your property, the sooner we can help – especially if your home becomes uninhabitable or we need to arrange temporary accommodation for you, your family, and your pets.
• Be careful not to return to your home or business until it’s safe to do so and avoid anything that could potentially cause more damage.
• If your roof has been damaged by strong winds, hail, or debris, please don’t risk your safety trying to inspect or repair the damage, but please let us know if you need us to arrange urgent repairs to make your home or business watertight and safe.
• It’s okay to start to clean up if you’ve been affected by flooding, especially if it can prevent further damage, but remember it’s best to treat all flood water as blackwater (i.e., contaminated with sewerage), so make sure you stay safe by wearing heavy duty gloves, boots, and a face mask.
• Most items can be repaired, cleaned and/or sanitised, and moving items outside can help dry them out if they’re wet. Remember to try to keep them under cover or put them in your garage with plenty of ventilation to prevent further damage.
• Only throw away items that can become unsanitary and cannot be successfully cleaned. Make sure you take photographs and keep a detailed list of things before doing so.If in doubt, put the item aside until you’ve checked with your insurer.
• If water has entered your home or business, turn off the power at the mains and ensure an electrician has checked the power supply before turning it back on.
• If your home or business is without power, you should turn your appliances off at the wall in case of a potentially damaging power surge.

What to do if your vehicle is damaged during a storm or flood:

• If your windscreen has been damaged or your car has been flooded, please don’t attempt to drive it.
• There is no hurry to make a claim, but as soon as you’re able to let us know about any damage to your vehicle, the sooner we can help – especially if you have cover for a temporary vehicle that we can arrange for you.
• If your vehicle needs to be towed, remember to remove any personal items if you can, and make sure it’s securely locked with no keys left inside – the tow team will get in touch to pick your keys up instead.
• Also, if you have contents insurance, let your insurer know if any items in your car were damaged.

Wayne Tippet, Executive General Manager, Claims

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