Insurance Australia Group (IAG), the parent company of NRMA Insurance, has received more than 11,000 claims following the impact of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, which caused property losses across several regions earlier this autumn.
The event has prompted an industry-wide recovery effort, including emergency repairs and on-site assessments.
Among those affected was an NRMA customer whose vehicles and garage were crushed by a falling eucalyptus tree during the cyclone.
The resident reported that his family avoided injury, although damage to the home was extensive. NRMA assessors arrived within an hour to inspect the site and initiate emergency repairs to minimise further weather-related deterioration.
NRMA Insurance property assessing manager Tony Wood said the company has immediately coordinated with its partners to make the site secure and begin initial repairs.
“When we turn up to a customer’s property they’ve lost the biggest investment of their lives. To be able to assist them and see the emotion on their faces, having damaged property and contents, the guys are there to support them and talk them through the incident and how we’re there to help them,” he said.
The company said its assessors remain active in impacted communities, working with contractors to stabilise properties and finalise claims. As of April 16, IAG had logged 11,335 claims tied to the cyclone, including 3,280 related to food spoilage, 95% of which had been closed by mid-April.
The cyclone capped a summer season marked by a significant rise in severe weather incidents. According to NRMA’s seasonal Wild Weather Tracker, one in six Australians reported storm-related damage to homes or vehicles between December and March. In total, NRMA handled over 18,100 claims during this period.
The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) reported that over 95,000 weather-related claims were filed nationwide during the 2024-25 summer, with ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred contributing substantially to the total.
The NRMA survey also highlighted persistent challenges in household preparedness. Around 40% of respondents said they felt unprepared to deal with sudden weather events, despite an increase in storm activity. Only a minority had secured outdoor belongings, and nearly a third admitted to occasionally leaving windows open during potential storm periods.
“During summer, we saw hail storms and wind squalls strike suddenly, with as little as 30 minutes warning, and cause significant damage because it caught people unprepared,” said Luke Gallagher, executive general manager of retail claims at NRMA Insurance.
To support disaster readiness, NRMA Insurance recently partnered with the Australian Red Cross to deliver EmergencyRedi community workshops. These are designed to educate residents on local weather risks and provide resources for developing household emergency plans. The workshops are also accessible online through the Help Nation platform.
