New Zealand’s largest rural insurer, FMG, has already received hundreds of claims following the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle and is advising that it will take time for assessors to get to clients, given the size and scale of the event, and limitations around road access.
“Firstly, our thoughts go out to all those impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle, and we encourage clients to keep their personal safety and that of their family and staff top of mind when assessing damage,” FMG’s rural propositions manager, Karen Williams, said.
“While it’s early days we’ve received over 400 claims, mostly for water damage to property, vehicles, and contents. We expect this figure to climb in the coming days and weeks as people get the opportunity to check their property.
“We’ve already begun working on the initial claims we’ve received, and our priority is to our most vulnerable clients, for example those who have lost their homes or business.
“We appreciate communication and electricity lines are challenging in some places, so we want clients to know we have options when it comes to lodging a claim, either now, or when connectivity improves in their area.
“Clients with an urgent claim should call us on 0800 366 466.
“Our phone lines are likely to come under pressure in the coming days, so we’re also encouraging those clients with non-urgent claims to lodge these via our website,, fmg.co.nz, or through FMG Connect, which can also be accessed via the website,” Williams said.
FMG had these tips for clients:
• Take a safety-first approach when surveying damage around the property, particularly when walking through flood waters
• You can dispose of fully flooded property, such as carpets
• You can make emergency repairs such as making a property watertight
• Take photos of the damage beforehand – and overall, take as many photos as possible of damaged items to support your claim.
