The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has launched a mobile app detailing property hazard data for residents.

GM Risk Karl Sullivan says the MyHazards tool “utilises aspects” of the latest Australian Rainfall and Run-off – the national guideline document, data and software suite.

The information will increase residents’ awareness of expected rainfall for their properties in a one-in-100-year storm.

“The new Australian Rainfall and Run-off data is a comprehensive resource used to create flood modelling,” Mr Sullivan told insuranceNEWS.com.au.

“[It] can be used by local governments and flood modellers to produce more accurate flood mapping.

“This benefits constituents by helping them understand flood impacts and to receive more finely tuned insurance premiums when local governments partner with the insurance industry.”

Experts at Geoscience Australia and Engineers Australia last week announced the rainfall and run-off guideline has been updated.

“In 2016 we released the most comprehensive update to Australian Rainfall and Run-off in three decades,” Geoscience Australia Chief of Positioning and Community Safety Andy Barnicoat said.

“Working with Engineers Australia, we added an additional 30 years of data collected from across Australia, including observations from more than 10,000 rainfall gauges and 100,000 storm events.

“Since 2016 we’ve been gathering feedback from the users of Australian Rainfall and Run-off. The improvements we’ve made in the 2019 update reflect their requirements.”

Engineers Australia Registrar Glen Crawley says the update gives flood modellers greater confidence.

“The methods for modelling floods in complex urban environments have been finalised,” he said. “These methods now allow the modeller to retain stormwater within urban landscapes, manage stormwater quality, maximise the potential of the stormwater resource and to slow flows into receiving waterways.

“The methodology for calculating design rainfalls and river flows for future scenarios has been updated. The methodology for extreme rainfalls now reflects differences required for use in dam studies, and floodplain management.

“As an input to hydrodynamic models, this update will help modellers to more accurately predict where flood will occur and the potential impact.”