Auckland – 13 April 2017 – AA Insurance says that the two cyclones to hit New Zealand in the last two weeks – Cyclone Debbie and now Cyclone Cook – have caused a big surge in insurance claims.
“Cyclone Debbie kept our claims team busy and we’ve now received almost 400 claims related to storm and flooding damage,” says Simon Hobbs, Head of Claims, AA Insurance. “We have already received over 30 claims relating to Cyclone Cook, however we expect this to rise rapidly as the worst of the heavy rain and winds are still to arrive.
“Safety should be the first priority for people affected by the weather. We’re keen to hear from customers who are unable to stay in their homes and need assistance, or who require urgent repairs to their homes to keep them watertight and warm,” says Simon.
AA Insurance advises its customers to:
Make sure you, family and pets are safe first. There is no rush to make a claim for your home or contents, so once you're safe and settled, get in touch with us if you need to make a claim
If you need urgent repairs to make your home safe, or if you need temporary accommodation, call us on 0800 500 216
Do not attempt to inspect or repair any damage until it is safe to do so
If the floors are wet, lift your furniture off the floor to prevent staining
Keep your damaged items if they are safe to do so, or take photos – this is useful to confirm what needs replacing
If your vehicle has been damaged or suffered flooding it may be unsafe to drive
About AA Insurance
AA Insurance is an independently operated, New Zealand-based joint venture between the New Zealand Automobile Association (NZAA) and Vero Insurance New Zealand Limited (VINZL). Since 1994 we have demonstrated trusted expertise in home, contents and car insurance in New Zealand, and in 2018 introduced commercial small business insurance. We underwrite our own policies and sell direct to New Zealanders. Our 930+ staff look after over 480,000 customers with 970,000 policies.
We proudly partner with Variety NZ and Eden Park and have been consistently recognised by: Reader’s Digest Most Trusted Brands (since 2011) and Quality Service Awards for Car, and Home and Contents Insurance (since 2015), Kantar Customer Leadership Index (since 2019), Canstar Blue Most Satisfied Customers (2011-2018), and the Colmar Brunton Corporate Reputation Index (since 2015) that recognises New Zealand’s most successful companies. AA Insurance was also named Consumer NZ People’s Choice award winner for car, home and contents (2019 and 2020).
AA Insurance has an AA- (Very Strong) Insurer Financial Strength Rating given by Standard and Poor’s (Australia) Pty Ltd. For further information visit aainsurance.co.nz.
For more information please contact:
Media Team, AA Insurance, 027 406 1787, mediacontact@aainsurance.co.nz
