April storm causes AU$176m in insured damages in NSW

The storm brought in 14,781 claims.

The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) announced that the April storms in New South Wales (NSW) caused $176m in insured damages, with over 95% attributed to property damage.

The storm, which primarily affected the Hawkesbury-Nepean and Illawarra regions, resulted in 14,781 claims. Of these, 13,959 were for home building and contents, 1,737 for motor vehicle damage, and 822 for commercial property.

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The ICA declared the 3 to 8 April storm (SE 242) a ‘significant event,’ prompting insurers to escalate response efforts, start claims data collection, and coordinate with government and emergency services. Insurers have already paid out $10m to affected customers.

This storm concluded a busy summer for insurers, with three extreme weather events since Christmas resulting in $1.6b in insured damages across Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria.