More than 11,500 claims related to the post-Easter storm in NSW have been lodged as the industry escalates its disaster management response to the event.

IAG says it has received more than 4300 claims, with over 80% relating to property damage. Suncorp says about 2700 claims have been submitted, including more than 2100 for home-related damage.

The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) yesterday declared the April 3-8 severe storm a significant event.

Under such a declaration, ICA starts its claims data collection, analysis and reporting processes in consultation with members, and its representatives will continue to work with government and agencies to understand impacts on the community and ensure affected residents receive assistance.

ICA says the storm caused heavy rain, damaging winds and flash flooding, most severely affecting the Hawkesbury-Nepean and Illawarra regions. Most of the claims relate to building and contents damage due to wind and heavy rain.

“At this stage, it is too early to estimate the insurance damage bill,” the Insurance Council said.

The NSW storm follows a costly summer for the industry, updated ICA loss data shows.

It says losses from declared insurance catastrophes over summer were close to $1.6 billion, with the cost of the Christmas storms now exceeding $1.1 billion from nearly 95,000 claims. Ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper losses topped $296 million from nearly 10,000 claims, and the Valentine’s Day storms cost $162 million from nearly 25,000 claims.

“The summer of 2023-24 saw a number of extreme weather events across the east coast, with two declared catastrophes including a cyclone and severe storms and flooding in Queensland,” ICA CEO Andrew Hall said. “As we move into autumn the impact of extreme weather continues, with the storm that largely impacted NSW last Friday and Saturday.

“Insurers are already on the ground in impacted areas assisting customers and responding to claims, and will be at recovery centres in the Illawarra and Hawksbury-Nepean over the next three days.”

IAG has boosted its ground support for affected customers. Its NRMA Insurance brand deployed response vehicles to the Illawarra and Hawksbury regions to help people lodge claims, arrange emergency repairs and organise temporary lodging.

IAG has sent assessors and partner repairers to examine damage and undertake emergency make-safe repairs for affected customers. Its call centres are available 24/7.

Suncorp says the most affected suburbs are North Wollongong, Corrimal and Woonona, with damage mainly from rain, flooding and storm surge.

“Our teams have been making proactive welfare calls and getting as much information out to customers on what to do to get the claims process under way as quickly as possible, so we can help them through these often-heartbreaking times,” EM Disaster Management Lilly Broodbank said.