Cyclone Gabrielle: Hawke's Bay Orchardists Still Recovering
Three and a half years on from when Cyclone Gabrielle hit Hawke's Bay, some orchardists in the region are still receiving counselling to help them deal with the trauma they suffered.
Aaron Dickinson, general manager of claims, says the insurer’s teams are standing by and ready to assist customers should the cyclone cause additional damage to homes, vehicles or contents already impacted by the recent flooding.
“Customers can simply contact us if they need help or advice assessing any new damage and we can work with them to lodge a new claim if they need to,” Dickinson says.
He says that during severe weather events, the most common claims the insurer receives are related to flooding and wind damage.
“AA Insurance is also encouraging people to take all the usual precautions ahead of a severe weather warning – including checking the stability of the land around their properties which may have higher risk of slips following the recent downpours.
“We’re reminding people to check in with neighbours and friends who live in isolated areas or who have been affected by flooding. The weather is unpredictable, and we don’t know what the coming days will bring, but AA Insurance is always here to help if you need us,” he says.
What to do if you’ve been impacted by a weather event
- Keep damaged items to be assessed if it’s safe and practical to do so or take photos of items that need to be thrown out. Having photos will help speed up the assessment and claims process and will be a useful reference when confirming what needs to be replaced.
- Discard any food that has been submerged in a flood (even canned goods) and throw away wooden or plastic cooking utensils, baby bottle teats and dummies if they have come into contact with floodwater as these cannot be safely cleaned.
- If there are items that need to be replaced urgently, please take photos of the damaged items and hold onto any receipts for anything you purchase – this will help your claim progress faster.
