Your emergency plan should consider what you and your family will do if extreme weather strikes.
Discuss how to safely turn off your electricity, water and gas, and identify the safest room in the house to shelter in.
Regularly check your building and contents insurance cover is adequate and up-to-date. It can help to take an inventory of your home contents, in case you need to make a claim. Generally there’s a 48 hour waiting period after starting a policy before you can claim on storm damage. Check with your insurer as waiting periods varies with each insurer.
Prepare an emergency kit with necessary items for during and after a storm. It could include items like first aid and medications, drinking water and non-perishable food, important documents and cash, a mobile phone and charger, and sleeping bags or blankets.
Keeping your property well-maintained can help reduce potential damage during a storm. Clear out your gutters, down pipes and drains regularly to prevent clogs. Ensure your roof is in good condition and replace any damaged or missing tiles. Engage a qualified roofing specialist to inspect your roofing every 5-7 years, based from the SES, Stormsafe Guide.
When a storm is advancing, you could listen out for extreme weather updates on the radio or visit the Bureau of Meteorology website to stay up to date with the latest developments.
Disconnect all electrical appliances, and check that all loose items are secured or put away as summarised by SES, Stormsafe Guide.
It’s important to keep yourself safe, which could be taking shelter in the safest room of the house – or evacuate as required. If inside, it will help to stay clear of windows, doors and skylights.
Things you should know
This article is intended to provide general information of an educational nature only. It does not have regard to the financial situation or needs of any reader and must not be relied upon as financial product advice.
Home Insurance and Car Insurance are provided and issued by Hollard Insurance Partners Limited ABN 96 067 524 216, AFSL 235030 (Hollard) and distributed by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia ABN 48 123 123 124, AFSL 234945 (CBA). Hollard is not part of the CBA Group. CBA and its related entities do not sell, issue or guarantee the obligations or performance of Hollard or the products Hollard offers and these insurance products do not represent a deposit with or liability of either CBA or any of its related bodies corporate. If you purchase a Home Insurance and/or Car Insurance policy, CBA is paid a commission which is a percentage of your premium.
For products issued by Hollard, information about the target market can be found within the product’s Target Market Determination available here.
This information has been prepared without considering your objectives, financial situation or needs. You should, before acting on this, consider the appropriateness of the product to your circumstances. A Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) is available at all Commonwealth Bank branches, by downloading them from commbank.com.au or by calling 13 2423 and should be considered before making any decisions about this product. You should also read the Premium, Excess and Discount Guide (PEDG), Key Facts Sheets (KFS), and Financial Services Guide (FSG) by clicking on the links, or by calling 13 2423 for a paper copy.
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