The Insurance Council of New Zealand (ICNZ) worked alongside emergency services on Sunday to help answer insurance questions after a tornado ripped through the South Auckland suburb of Papatoetoe on Saturday morning, affecting hundreds of homes.

Auckland Council building inspectors have so far assessed more than 240 homes in the suburb after the tornado smashed windows, dislodged roof tiles and caused other property damage, including some cases of roofs entirely blown off.

Around 60 buildings have so far been assessed as uninhabitable, according to local reports, and utilities including power and water have been affected in the area.

“It is exactly these types of sudden unexpected events that your insurer is there to support you with,” ICNZ CEO Tim Grafton said.

ICNZ says that as the extent of the damage starts to be seen, insurer call centres may be under pressure due to volume. It advises customers to check websites and use online forms to lodge claims if possible.