Emergency
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Windows and garage doors can be especially vulnerable during a cyclone. If windows break, driving rain and high winds can cause significant internal damage to your home.
Flying debris during a cyclone can shatter windows, allowing wind and water to enter your home. Taking steps to secure your windows and garage doors ahead of time can help reduce the risk of damage.
Speak with a licensed professional about installing external cyclone shutters, debris screens or sheets of plywood to the outside of windows. They can recommend the best protection for your window types – like sliding, louvre, or casement windows – and ensure materials are properly fitted.
A weak garage door can allow wind to enter your home. This can increase pressure on your roof. If you live in a cyclone-prone area, have your garage door assessed to ensure it’s cyclone-rated and in good working order.
If your garage door doesn’t meet local wind resistance requirements, consider speaking with a professional about your options – such as reinforcing the existing door or upgrading to a cyclone-rated model.
While early preparation is key to protecting your home, it’s also important to understand what to do if a cyclone is approaching.
How to do it yourself:
Make sure every window is fully closed with locks engaged before any winds arrive.
When the cyclone is underway, never stand near windows. They are vulnerable to a sudden failure or debris impact.
Designate a safe room in your home that you could shelter in. Ideally this would be an interior room away from windows, such as a bathroom, hallway, pantry or walk-in wardrobe. If you can’t get to a room without windows, you could cover any windows with a heavy blanket to protect you from glass if the window breaks.
Thick plastic sheeting
Duct tape
Plywood
Saw
Tie down straps
Some window protection tasks are best left to licensed professionals. They can make sure repairs are safe, up to code, and built to last. If you’re in a high-risk area, it’s worth asking an expert to check things like:
Consider calling:
It helps to have a few details ready
The risk ratings displayed by this tool are based on postcode-level data only and are not based on your own home’s characteristics. They reflect an average across all properties within a postcode and are provided as general information. They are not a substitute for a property-specific risk assessment.
Risk is distributed unevenly across properties within any postcode, which means most individual properties will not have the postcode-average risk rating, but will have a risk rating that is either higher or lower than the postcode average shown. This tool should not be used to calculate, predict or estimate the sum insured applicable to any individual property nor is this tool used by NRMA Insurance to calculate your premium. NRMA Insurance accepts no liability for any loss or damage arising from reliance on the information provided by this tool.
The information provided by this tool is general information only and does not constitute financial or professional advice. It does not take into account your individual objectives, financial situation, or needs (“your personal circumstances”). Before making any insurance decision, you should consider your personal circumstances and the relevant Product Disclosure Statement. The Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determinations are available at nrma.com.au. Insurance is issued by Insurance Australia Limited ABN 11 000 016 722 AFSL 227681 trading as NRMA Insurance.