The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has declared a catastrophe for the hailstorms that devastated south-eastern Queensland on Halloween – with Springfield, Rosewood, Greenbank, and Boronia Heights taking the hardest hits.

By 2pm on November 01, insurers reported receiving over 5,000 claims – with insured losses estimated at around $60 million.

ICA confirmed that 60% of the claims accounted for damage to motor vehicles. Meanwhile, 40% accounted for damage to houses – mainly to roofs, skylights, and solar panels, as well as interior damage to a significant proportion of homes.

ICA chief executive officer Andrew Hall said insurers' call centres were standing by to help their customers impacted by the hailstorms. He advised affected homeowners to call their insurer as soon as possible.

“The catastrophe declaration means insurers will prioritise claims from these hail-affected areas and will direct urgent attention to those most in need of assistance,” Hall said. “Householders should contact their insurers before commissioning any repairs to their homes. They should ensure this work will be paid for under the policy.”

The SE Queensland hailstorm is the first catastrophe declaration for the 2020-2021 natural disaster season. The previous disaster season, which resulted in over $5.9 billion in insurance claims, was the worst on record.

Hall said insurers expect to receive more claims as more affected homeowners and businesses inspect the damage and contact their insurers.