What to do if a flood or storm has damaged your home

If there’s been a major storm or flood in your area, you’ll need to get the all-clear from emergency services before you return home. If it’s safe, you can start to document the damage, clean up and make a claim on your home or contents insurance.  

It’s worth making a claim  online or over the phone even if you don’t have all the details, to kick start your claims process. You can always add more details later through your Online Account or  by calling us. For your peace of mind, know that you can withdraw your claim at any time, without impacting the cost of future premiums.

Tip: Checking your policy coverage can help give you an idea of what you’re covered for and can jog your memory about things you may have forgotten you could claim, for example, cover for food spoilage.

Don’t worry if you’ve lost paper copies of your policy documents – you can find digital copies sent to you by email or on your NRMA Insurance online account. You can also contact us to help find your insurance details or call the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) disaster hotline.

When you make a claim, we'll ask you if you need 'make safe' emergency repairs. This means doing some preliminary repair work to reduce the risk of further damage so that your home is safe to live in, or safe to clean up after the incident. If you need emergency repairs, we'll arrange for someone from our Partner Repairer network to contact you within the next 24–48 hours to organise coming to your property to make the area safe. 

Usually, emergency repairs are required if:

• water has entered your property or home
• it looks like the roof or electrical circuits have been damaged
• your home isn’t secure – for example, if the doors don’t close or the windows aren’t sealed
• there are people living at your home who may be at risk if things aren’t repaired – such as children under the age of 2 or people with severe illness or a compromised immune system. 

If you don't need emergency repairs, we'll typically be in touch with you within 1-2 business days to update you on the progress of your claim.

Documenting the damage helps you get the information you need for your claim and will put you in a better position to clean up and potentially throw out damaged items. Here’s what you need to do:

Include areas of your home or property that have been damaged, along with your contents or the things you’ve insured in your home. Make sure you include any key features, such as the brand, make and model of the item.

Includes taking photos of the areas of your home that have been damaged, such as broken windows or cracked walls, or the things in your home that have been damaged, such as any insured sports gear, paintings and so on. Try to take samples of any water-logged items, like curtains, furniture and carpets, so you have a record of these items but can get rid of them if they’re likely to grow mould. Don’t throw away anything that could be salvaged or repaired and feel free to keep damaged items that don’t pose a health risk – this could help with a settlement once you get to that.

If you have any relevant receipts or other documents (credit card/bank statements, warranties, photos) that show proof of purchase for your home and contents, take copies of them or store these somewhere that’s easy to access.

Once you submit a claim, you’ll be able to add these details in your Online Account. In some circumstances, we won’t ask you to provide a list of lost or damaged contents or receipts.

Starting the clean-up process can help get things back to normal. Here are some tips for cleaning up after a flood or storm: 

• Once you've taken photos or samples, safely remove any items that could cause further damage or pose a health risk. 

• Wear protective clothing and be aware of hazardous material. 

• Ask State Emergency Service (SES) and your local council about waste collection. For example, whether there’s free kerbside pick-up for households impacted by a flood or storm. 

• Throw out any water-damaged items that can’t be washed because they may be contaminated.

• Once you’ve cleaned up and removed debris, then you can disinfect surfaces and dry out your home. Open the doors and windows during daylight hours and use any available fans to increase ventilation and remove dampness.

• Consider your safety before tackling mould. For a guide on what to look out for, see ABC’s Emergency Guide on how to clean up mould and let us know if there are still traces of mould when you make your claim.

We'll stay in touch with you and provide you with regular updates as your claim progresses. 

It’s normal to feel a range of emotions after a natural disaster event like a flood or storm. Not knowing what’s going to happen or how things will get back to normal can cause a lot of stress.

If you find yourself lacking energy, having trouble falling asleep and finding it hard to concentrate, you might need some support. 

If you have a policy with us, you and your family can get free, confidential counselling through our partner, Sonder. Everything shared with Sonder stays private, and using the service has no effect on your policies. To connect with Sonder, give us a call on 132 132 and our team will put you in touch. 

If you’re not with NRMA Insurance, Lifeline also have a dedicated support line and online toolkit for people living through extreme weather-related events. If you’re experiencing distress and need immediate help, contact Lifeline and access their online toolkit for 24-hour assistance.