Almost 69,000 Victorian home insurance claims linked to severe weather were lodged with AAMI between the 2022 and 2026 financial years, with the state’s leading hotspot changing every year.
Shepparton topped the list in the 2023 financial year, coinciding with the devastating October 2022 floods.
The year before the storm hotspot had been Werribee and the following years saw the focus shift to Mulgrave in 2024, Highton in 2025 and back to Werribee in 2026.
The claims data covers damage caused by storms, floods, hail, lightning, rain, wind and tornadoes.
AAMI executive general manager of home insurance Anna Cartwright said the changing landscape showed every Victorian household should prepare for severe storms.
“Five years of claims data tells us one thing very clearly: no Victorian community should assume it is immune from severe storm impacts,” Ms Cartwright said.
“Over the past five years Victorians have experienced everything from major flooding inundating the state’s north to severe thunderstorms, damaging winds and most recently the tornado in Melbourne’s outer west that left a trail of destruction for households and businesses.”
Ms Cartwright said the data was a reminder for households across the state to prepare for severe weather.
Victorian SES chief officer of operations Alistair Drayton urged residents to prepare their homes ahead of the spring and summer storm season.
“Simple actions you take now such as clearing gutters and drains, trimming overhanging branches and tying down loose outdoor items can go a very long way to protecting your property in the face of a severe storm or flood event,” he said.
Other steps include securing loose outdoor items, checking roofs for damage, keeping emergency supplies on hand and parking vehicles away from trees and waterways where possible.
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