Advice for flood victims over damaged property

Anticipating a deluge of insurance claims, the insurance industry is urging Southland policyholders to carry out a number of commonsense precautions.

A state of emergency exists in the region and Gore, Mataura and Wyndham residents have been ordered to evacuate, as local rivers rise. The Mataura River has burst its banks, and many roads and schools are closed.

Residents in the South Island coastal town of Riversdale have also been put on standby in case of evacuation.

Several insurance companies said it was too early to assess the scale of damage but Insurance Ombudsman Karen Stevens said those waiting to see if they had to leave their homes should try to mitigate the possible damage.

‘‘They should try to protect everything as much as they possibly can, which is not easy in a flooding situation but if they can move anything to higher ground or move it up and out of the way of water, it is a good idea.’’

When they returned, she said, it was important to photograph the damage and not to throw out any water-damaged possessions.

‘‘I think particularly in flooding situations, people are very tempted to chuck stuff away; there is dirt and water damage, it can smell and it is not very pleasant. The problem is if they do that, they are sometimes faced with a situation of having to prove they have actually owned or lost things.’’

Keeping records intact was important and most insurers were ‘‘pretty good in terms of accepting evidence’’ but they were entitled to proof.

Making a list of one’s belongings early on was a good idea, because adding to the claim later could be problematic.

Rural insurer FMG said it was ‘‘very early days’’ to talk about claims. ‘‘We are proactively contacting our clients to check on their welfare and to see what support they may need to make a claim,’’ a spokesperson said.