Far North Queensland has been ravaged by flooding rains that have broken records and riverbanks, but not the resolve of residents.
Countless homes have been damaged or destroyed since last week, and already almost 3,000 insurance claims have been made.
The ABC has spoken with RACQ Insurance chief executive Trent Sayers and Maurice Blackburn principal insurance lawyer Hayriye Uluca to help those affected navigate the insurance claim process.
Here is what you need to know as you begin your recovery, starting with sorting out your insurance claim.
What’s the first thing I need to do?
Contact your insurer as soon as possible if you suspect your home or property has been damaged — even if you are unable to return home to actually inspect any damage.
This is called a “report only” claim, but it can kickstart the insurance process for you.
“You can lodge claims online, you can lodge claims over the phone, and all insurers have people at the ready to come and support you,” Mr Sayers said.
He said staying in regular contact with the insurer could also help the process.
Then what?
No matter what state your home, property or vehicle is in — take photos and videos of everything before doing anything else.
“Keep a list, keep some photos, model numbers, serial numbers, whatever is easy to keep a hold of,” Mr Sayers said.
“That will just support the claim settlement process once the assessment process starts.”
Ms Uluca said those records could also support your claim, particularly if any conflict or disagreement arose later.
“It’s often really difficult to describe something in writing — pictures and video can tell 1,000 words,” she said.
Ms Uluca said it was also “really important” to document the cause and impact of the damage before moving, repairing or replacing anything.
How do I know what will be covered?
Mr Sayers said people needed to know what was in their policy long before a disaster occurred.
“If you are in an area that floods then you need to make sure the policy you’ve got has flood as standard cover,” he said.
“Be really clear about what is your policy covers, and that you’re getting a policy to suit your needs.”
What about my car that’s been written off?
Mr Sayers said some vehicle claims from ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper have already been settled.
“The money can flow very quickly to get people moving again,” he said.
But finding the right car after the settlement could be tougher, Mr Sayers said.
Where am I going to live if I can’t be in my house?
Insurance companies could often arrange for temporary housing for customers if required, Mr Sayers said.
“Most insurers will have some plans about securing some temporary accommodation in advance of need,” he said.
Ms Uluca said it was worth asking about.
“That can really alleviate people’s stress and enable them to be in a different, more safe environment while the claim is going,” she said.
What if I’m told to stay in my house?
For those worried about young children, or older residents, insurers may take that into account.
“We have a very robust process that we go through with people, particularly when there are vulnerabilities involved,” Mr Sayers said.
But he said often, people wanted to stay in their homes even if they had been inundated or damaged.
He said in the past, some people had gone as far as having caravans delivered so they could continue living on their property while their home was repaired or rebuilt.
What if my pool was destroyed by a landslip?
Short answer: ask your insurer.
Mr Sayers said generally where the losses were caused by a “defined event” covered by the policy — think cyclone, storm or other disaster — then damages that followed were usually also covered.
But not always.
“Each set of scenarios and what policies may or may not cover can be different.”
My insurer and I disagree on my claim — what can I do?
“The first thing that anyone should do is put in a complaint to their insurer directly,” Ms Uluca said.
“And ask for that complaint to be dealt with by the internal dispute resolution team.”
She said to expect a response within 24 hours and a decision within 30 days, but delays were likely after a major event, so keeping track was important.
If the dispute is still not resolved, it can be taken elsewhere.
“They can go to the ombudsman, which is the Australian Financial Complaints Authority and lodge a complaint there.
“It will be allocated to a case manager who can then be the go-between between the consumer and the insurer to try and resolve it.”
She said seeking legal advice was also an option.
Is it worth making a complaint?
Ms Uluca said everyone should go into the insurance process “optimistically”.
But when dealing with an insurer, she said it was important to keep a paper trail so phone calls or discussions were not forgotten.
What else can I do to make things go smoothly?
Ms Uluca said everyone should go into the insurance process “optimistically”.
But when dealing with an insurer, she said it was important to keep a paper trail so phone calls or discussions were not forgotten.
“Making sure that everything is followed up in writing in an email, that there’s a paper trail you can follow – I think that’s really important,” she said.
“If you do end up getting some legal advice down the track, it’s much easier to understand the chronology of events.”
She suggested sending a quick email after phone calls to outline what was discussed, and asking for the insurer to confirm any decisions made.
