Tropical cyclones and floods have caused more than 70% of known natural hazard deaths since European colonisation of Australia began in 1788, according to a new report. 

“Tropical cyclones, floods, thunderstorms and bushfires together produced 93.6% of known building damage, suggesting that geological, as opposed to meteorological hazards, have been relatively unimportant – at least in the period since 1900,” the report says.

Compiled by leading Australian natural hazards expert Russell Blong for the Benfield Hazard Research Centre, the report says integrated risk assessment “is extremely important for gaining a full understanding of the range of perils and their likely risks that a country could face”. 

Thunderstorms, particularly lightning and bushfires, each account for 11 to 13% of deaths, indicating the other hazards considered produced very few human deaths, at least in the past 200 years.

“It is sub-optimal to look at the risk of one peril at a time,” Professor Blong said. “It doesn’t make sense to charge premium for a house for a 1-in-500 year earthquake if no premium is charged for the same house when it is flooded on average every 100 years.”

“Annual insured property losses vary dramatically from year to year, but have averaged nearly $500 million in current dollars over the last 35 years.”