Eastern Cape floods: Is your house, car, business insured for natural disasters?

Residents and businesses in Eastern Cape have been left in a devasting state after floods due to heavy rainfall on Tuesday.

The impacts of these floods resulted in the closure of several businesses, damaged infrastructure, delays in flights and the disturbance of school activities including thousands of matriculants not writing some of their exam papers this week.

Santam says it has become increasingly important for individuals and businesses to have natural disaster insurance due to the changing climate.

For this summer, eastern provinces in South Africa can expect above-normal rainfall due to changing climate. South African Weather Service meteorologist, Lehlohonolo Thobela told the Mail & Guardian that SA is in for a wet summer and higher-than-normal temperatures.

ALSO READ: Eastern Cape floods: ‘I have nothing left’ [VIDEO]

Natural disasters insurance

Rowan de Villiers, acting head of claims at Santam told The Citizen that natural disaster insurance can give people peace of mind that their property will be indemnified in an unfortunate event.

“The changing climate has resulted in an increase in the frequency of storms, flooding, subsidence and landslides, hurricanes and wildfire-related incidents which have resulted in millions of rands worth of financial losses.”

He said as part of individual risk management, individuals must ensure that natural disaster insurance is top of mind in order for them to minimise the impact caused by such events.

Peace of mind during natural disaster

As much as the memories made will not be able to be recovered by any significant amount of money, there can be peace of mind knowing the materialistic items insured will be replaced.

“When we refer to ‘peace of mind’ we include the individual’s ability to carry on with their lives during an unforeseen event in order to bring them back to the same financial position as before the loss occurred and the chances of such catastrophic events taking place have increased over time which places further importance on the reason why individuals need to take up natural disaster insurance.”

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Importance of the insurance

He added that in addition to damage to property, natural disaster insurance will accommodate individuals who have other parties responsible for them such as in the case of a tenant relationship.

“When the individual has natural disaster insurance, they can benefit from alternative accommodation cover as well as loss of rental income they might experience due to the occurrence of a natural disaster. “

No increase in 2024 claims

He said at this stage the insurer has not seen an increase in natural disaster claims compared to 2023.

Speaking on the results for the first six months of the year, Tavaziva Madzinga, Group CEO said they paid R607 million in weather-related claims. “This compares to weather-related catastrophe losses of R150 million in 2023.”  

The millions in weather-related claims were attributed to the conditions across the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

ALSO READ: Eastern Cape floods: Over 300 students can’t write matric final exams

Hailstorms among largest causes of damage

Ernest North, co-founder of digital insurance provider, Naked Insurance said hailstorms rank among one of the largest causes of damage and losses to property and cars in parts of Gauteng, Kwa-Zula Natal and the Free State.    

“Our data shows that the risks from hailstorms and other severe weather-related events have risen over the past decade. During the last hail season in late 2023, over 20% of weather-related damage claims received by Naked were due to hailstorms.”

He added that the golf ball-sized hailstone is one of the biggest threats to homes and vehicles in large parts of the country.

North said while it is important to get appropriate insurance coverage, it is also important to take sensible steps to mitigate the risks as home and car owners.

How to protect your car during hailstorm

North said 90% of the claims they received for hail damage over the 2023 hail season were related to car damage. North offered some ways to minimise risk:

• Keep an eye on weather forecasts during the rainy months. “This can help you to avoid driving through hailstorms and torrential rain, as well as take steps to protect your property before the weather turns bad.”
• Park your car under cover during periods when hail is forecast. “If you’re already driving, try to find somewhere safe and covered to pull over and wait for the storm to pass, if possible.”
• If you cannot avoid driving, slow down and maintain a longer following distance to compensate for slippery roads and poor visibility. Turn on your lights to ensure other drivers can see you.
• If you find your car in rising water, do not restart the engine to avoid damage. “Call your insurer’s emergency assistance line for advice and a tow.”
• If you do not have access to undercover parking, you can cover your car with a thick blanket to offer some protection. 

ALSO READ: Insurers paid about R35 million in claims for November storm damage

How to protect your home

He also gave advice on how to protect your home:

• Inspect your roof regularly to make sure it is strong enough to take the rain and hail. Keep gutters clear of leaves and other gunk to ensure they do not overflow.
• Trim trees regularly to minimise the potential for branches or debris to damage your home.
• Among home fixtures, solar panels are particularly vulnerable to hail damage. Ensure your panels are installed securely and correctly. “Invest in strong solar panels made of tempered glass and consider installing protective covers or mesh screens as an extra layer of defence.”

How to claim from insurance 

• Take immediate steps to minimise further damage. “For example, if your windscreen is shattered, driving may be unsafe and your risk of having an accident may be higher.”
• After a massive storm, there might be long call centre queues to claim, followed by long repair times. So be sure to submit your claim as soon as possible after the storm to beat the rush. “If your insurer operates online, you will be able to claim quickly and easily from your phone without waiting for office hours.”
• If you live in an estate or complex with a body corporate, they will probably be responsible for your building’s insurance. “Talk to them about damage such as a leaking roof or shattered windows. For personal belongings damaged by water, you will need to claim through your contents’ insurance.”
• “Document your damage. Inspect your property. Check windows, skylights, and solar panels for any damage and take clear photos or videos. This can speed up the claims process.”

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