Are you prepared for La Nina?
The Bureau of Meteorology has declared a La Niña is officially underway, signaling we could be in for a wet spring and summer. The last major La Niña events were in the summers of 2010-11 and 2011-12. They resulted in 2010 to 2012 being Australia’s wettest two-year period on record.
Flooding was widespread and devastating.
In early 2011, large parts of South-East Queensland were under water; the Lockyer Valley was hit by a cascade of water coming off the Toowoomba range and Brisbane saw its worst flooding since 1974.
In 2010-2011, regional Victoria also witnessed widespread flooding, with many rivers experiencing their highest recorded flood levels. We can easily forget flood cover whilst we have drought and bushfire.
Remember, the definition of Flood is – “The covering of normally dry land by water that has escaped or been released from the normal confines of: any lake, or any river, creek or other natural watercourse, whether or not altered or modified; or any reservoir, canal, or dam.”
A few questions to ask yourself:
- Do I have assets (business or personal) in a flood prone area?
- Am I covered for flood damage? Has this been documented in writing?
- If you are unsure, please contact your Risk Advisor and we will assist
It is better to be prepared and on front foot rather than get receive that dreaded call where your property has been damaged by flood and do not have the correct cover in place.
A recent Insurance News article, dated 19 October 2020 provides more information on La Nina:
This La Nina ‘could match 2010-12’ event
The current La Nina weather event could match the strength of the last one, which caused devastating flooding in parts of Australia.
A La Nina typically increases the chance of above-average rainfall across much of Australia during spring. Above-average summer rainfall is also typical across eastern Australia.
The Bureau of Meteorology previously believed the current event was unlikely to equal the La Nina of 2010–12, which was one of the four strongest on record.
But its latest predictions are more severe.
“All surveyed international climate models indicate this La Nina will persist through the southern hemisphere summer 2020–21,” the Bureau said.
“Most models suggest the La Nina will strengthen, peaking in December. “Around half the models anticipate a strong event, meaning there is a possibility it could reach similar strength to the La Nina of 2010–12.
“The strength of La Nina impacts on Australia are often related to the strength of the event.”
However, models also forecast this event will be shorter than 2010-12, possibly ending in the first quarter of 2021.
Craig Love | Specialty Risk Adviser | Adroit Insurance and Risk