Holiday mode: Storm warning ahead of festive season

[Pelican Press 0]

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Holiday mode: Storm warning ahead of festive season

‘Tis the season to be jolly – and brace for severe weather.

Christmas is a festive time for many but Australians in storm hot spots have been warned they should prepare for the worst before heading off on holidays.

New research shows nearly three-quarters of Australians don’t plan or properly protect their homes before leaving on their end-of-year break.

It found 36 per cent admitted they don’t bother checking the weather at all as it is “out of their control”.

“Our research shows Australians are too focused on where they are going and not thinking enough about what they are leaving behind and what could go wrong when they’re not around,” Suncorp Insurance’s Anna Cartwright said.

People may be in holiday mode over the Christmas ******* but the report showed Mother Nature was not, providing a snapshot of the country’s storm hotspots.

Victoria had the most number of emergency callouts, with the SES responding to 31,000 severe weather related incidences ahead of NSW’s 21,000 and more than 13,000 in Queensland this year.

But Queensland suffered the most disasters including Christmas Day storms on the Gold Coast and back-to-back tropical cyclones in the far north.

Queenslanders have already been warned at least one cyclone is set to threaten over the upcoming festive *******.

“It only takes one storm or cyclone to have a massive impact on a region and while it was the Gold Coast and Cairns (in 2024)…it could be your region next,” Queensland SES’ Mark Armstrong said.

Holiday travellers are urged to trim tree branches, clean gutters and downpipes of leaves and inspect the roof for damaged or loose tiles before heading off.

SUNCORP INSURANCE CLAIMS DATA’S NATIONAL STORM HOTSPOTS

Queensland – 1. Upper Coomera 2. Helensvale (both Gold Coast) 3. Gatton (Toowoomba)

NSW – 1. Orange (Central West) 2. Rutherford (Hunter Valley) 3. Grenfell (Central West)

Victoria – 1. Mulgrave (Melbourne South East) 2. Bentleigh East (Melbourne Inner South), 3. Mount Waverley (Melbourne South East)

*********** Capital Territory – 1. Kambah 2. Franklin 3. Amaroo

South Australia – 1. Morphett Vale (Adelaide South) 2. Athelstone (Adelaide Central and Hills) 3. Aldinga Beach (Adelaide South)

Tasmania – 1. Sandy Bay 2. Kingston (both Hobart) 3. Devonport (West, North West)

Western Australia – 1. Waikiki (Perth South-West) 2. Clarkson (Perth North West) 3. Rockingham (Perth South West)

Northern Territory – 1. Humpty Doo (Darwin) 2. Braitling 3. Gillen (both NT Outback)

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