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Australians have been told to prepare their homes for more rain and flooding after it emerged that not enough homeowners were taking steps to protect their properties.
NRMA released its fourth Wild Weather Tracker report Thursday, which found that only 37 percent of residents had prepared their homes for wild winter weather.
It came despite unusual amounts of rain and damaging winds leading to 26,515 people claiming damage to their homes and vehicles.
The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast a wetter-than-average spring with more torrential rainfall and possible flooding to wreak even more damage.
The report found the worst weather-hit regions in New South Wales and Queensland and rated states on how well prepared they were.
Australians have been told to prepare their homes for more rain and flooding after it emerged that not enough homeowners were taking steps to protect their properties
The biggest wild weather events were related to the winter’s unusually wet weather that caused storms and flooding (photo, residents of Sydney’s northwest looking at floodwaters)
Nearly 12,000 NSW NRMA customers have claimed insurance for their weather-damaged vehicles in the past three months (pictured, a car submerged in floodwater on the outskirts of Sydney)
NRMA Insurance meteorologist Dr Bruce Buckely urged homeowners to prepare for the worst.
“In the coming months, we will see multiple causes of severe weather reinforce each other, including La Niña and a negative dipole in the Indian Ocean, which is likely to cause a much wetter-than-average spring in the eastern states and across South Australia.” he said. .
This is a rare coincidence of climatic factors favoring eruptions of very heavy rainfall that can lead to flash flooding and river flooding in spring and early summer.
“The impacts of a changing climate mean that wild weather can strike anywhere, anytime, but taking a few small steps to both reduce our level of risk and prepare for how we will respond can make a big difference when it happens. said Dr. Buckley. .
Queensland was the best prepared state with 44 percent of residents with an emergency plan, 45 percent with an emergency kit and 37 percent well enough aware of their neighbors to help in an emergency.
Data shows that the hardest hit cities in Queensland this winter were Rockhampton, Caboolture, Toowoomba, Nerang and Bundaberg North.
The regions where the wild weather hit the hardest were the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Wide Bay, Logan-Beaudesert and Ipswich.
NRMA’s winter weather report showed that 26,515 had sustained weather damage to their homes or vehicles in the past three months (pictured, a resident of Millers Forest NSW in her flood-damaged home)
Only 37 percent of Australians prepared for wild weather, despite ongoing warnings of severe storms and flooding (photo, SES saving a baby in Hunter Valley, NSW)
Mackay, Isaac and the Whitsundays were the most prepared regions of Queensland with a readiness score of 71 out of 100, and Central Queensland was the least prepared with a score of 60 out of 100.
NSW proved to be the second most prepared state this winter.
The report found that the towns with the worst weather damage were Campbelltown, Wagga Wagga, Port Macquarie, Dubbo, Wollongong, Liverpool, Coffs Harbour, Goulburn, Orange and Blacktown.
The worst affected Sydney suburbs were Campbelltown, Liverpool, Blacktown, Engadine, Castle Hill, Ingleburn, Sydney CBD, Prestons, Casula and Penrith.
The NSW regions with the most weather damage were Illawarra, Hunter Valley, Central Coast, Goulburn-Yass, South West Sydney, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, Mid North Coast, Riverina and Outer West Sydney and Blue Mountains.
Nearly 7,700 homes in NSW have been damaged by wild weather on top of nearly 12,000 vehicles in the past three months.
Despite the apparent threat of stormy weather and flash flooding, only 39 percent of NSW residents took steps to protect themselves.
Data shows that only 36 percent of people have an emergency kit and 42 percent have an emergency plan.
The Far South Coast proved to be the most prepared region with a score of 77 out of 100, while the Southern Tablelands were the least prepared with a score of 56 out of 100.
Rockhampton (welcome sign pictured) turned out to be the town hardest hit by Queensland’s wild weather this winter
The Blue Mountains of NSW was one of the most weather-affected regions of NSW this winter (pictured, a landslide on the Katoomba train tracks after heavy rain)
South Australia turned out to be the third most prepared state, followed by Western Australia and then the ACT.
The largest wild weather events recorded for the winter were related to unusual wet weather, including storms and flooding.
Across the country, just 37 percent of Australians have taken steps to prepare for wild weather in the past three months, which is 11 percent less than last year’s winter.
When asked why they hadn’t taken precautions, 42 percent said they didn’t believe their suburb would be hit by wild weather, 27 said they didn’t know where to start and 22 percent said it was difficult to find time to to prepare.