It didn’t just rain, it hailed
Bad weather cost insurers a record $248 million last year.
Over 13,600 households made claims for damage caused by weather-related claims in 2020, said Tim Grafton, chief executive of the Insurance Council of New Zealand.
The $248m in claims paid included those from the severe weather and floods across the Greater Wellington region between November 29 and December 1, and the freak hailstorm that hit the Nelson-Marlborough region on Boxing Day.
The Boxing Day hailstorm alone resulted in claims paid of $41m, he said.
New Zealand is one of the most highly insured countries in the world, but London insurer Lloyds lists it as the second most disasterprone country in the world.
‘‘It is sobering to think of the numerous orchards in the region that may not have had insurance in place,’’ Grafton said.
The final claims cost of the October O¯ hau fire topped $35m, he said, with 180 house and contents claims, 15 business and commercial claims, and 31 claims for damaged or destroyed vehicles.
The costly weather events of the year included Napier flooding in November, which is estimated to have resulted in $73m of valid claims, Upper North Island flooding in July, resulting in $44m of claims, Southland flooding in February, costing insurers $30m, and the June Upper North Island storm and tornado, costing insurers $17m.
Grafton said climate change meant extreme weather events would become even more frequent.
‘‘The impacts of climate change are very real for all New Zealanders,’’ he said.