Storm damage to homes and property is usually caused by:

• Roof maintenance issues
• Fallen trees and branches
• Flooding from blocked gutters and downpipes¹

¹‘Preparing for Storms Guide”, Department of Fire & Emergency Services, 2020

There are a number of actions you can take to prepare your home and property for a storm. See the DFES Preparing for Storms Guide for a comprehensive guide.

Days before a storm hits:

• Clear your gutters and downpipes
  Have your gutters and downpipes cleared of leaves, debris and blockages which might lead to flooding.
• Trim branches and clear trees
  To prevent them from falling and causing damage, trim low-hanging branches on trees around your property and have trees cleared from powerlines by a professional.
• Secure outdoor objects
  Check for any loose outdoor objects on your property, such as furniture or outdoor play equipment, and either store or tie them to avoid them being blown around and causing more damage.
• Move your car under shelter
  Whenever your car is parked at home, if possible, make sure it’s parked in a garage or under a carport.
  If you are unable to park your car under shelter at home, consider parking close to a building which can offer partial protection from high winds and rain. Avoid parking your car under or near large trees due to risk of them falling in the storm and damaging your car.

Before and during a storm:

• Use sandbags if there's a flood risk
  In the event of flooding, DIY sandbags can be made by filling plastic bags or pillowcases with sand.
• Monitor your electrical appliances
  If there is lightning forecast, unplug and turn off your electrical appliances, and avoid using your landline telephone as it could deliver an electric shock.
  If flood waters are expected, move your appliances to a higher spot in your house.
• If you're driving, pull over
  As per the SES storm guidelines, if you're driving during a storm, pull over (when it is safe to do so) and park until them storm passes. Ideally, avoid parking near large trees or power lines. ¹

¹‘Preparing for Storms Guide”, Department of Fire & Emergency Services, 2020

If you have a current home or contents policy with RAC, or both, your building or contents are covered if they’re damaged or destroyed by a storm (including cyclones) – up to your building or contents sum insured.²

²Please note that you’re not covered for storm damage within the first 48 hours after the initial start of your policy, unless your policy started:

• When you first took possession of your building.
• When your lease for your building first commenced.
• Immediately after another policy covering the same risk expired without a break in cover.

If you have a current comprehensive car policy with RAC, your car is covered if it’s damaged or destroyed by a storm (including cyclones) – up to your agreed value.³

³Please note that you’re not covered for storm damage within the first 48 hours after the initial start of your policy (or to the extent that you’ve increased your existing insurance cover) unless:

• You purchased your car on the same day your policy started.
• Your policy commenced immediately after another policy covering the same car ended and there was no break or change in the level or type of cover.

You can find the sum insured on your policy schedule. You receive a copy of your policy schedule to your nominated email or mailing address at policy commencement and renewal. You can also check your sum insured via myRAC. Login or register to myRAC.

A copy of the PDS (which sets out what is and is not covered) is available here.

If you require further assistance, please call us on 13 17 03.

It’s a good idea to measure the damaged part of the fence in metres before you make a claim. You’ll also need to tell us the type of fence that was damaged, for example, Colorbond or Hardifence. We’ll guide you through the other questions as you make your claim.

For shared fences, we give you a cash settlement to cover your share of the fence. Then you organise the repairs.

In summary, the process is that you:

1. Make a claim.
2. Talk to your neighbour. They’re responsible for their share of the fence repair costs.
3. Get a quote from a fence repairer.
4. Pay for your share of the fence repair with your cash settlement.

Where possible, take photos of any damage. You can provide them when you make your claim or after you've submitted your claim. You don’t need photos for fence damage.

Hold on to any items which have been damaged and are part of your claim. These may need to be assessed separately.

1. Have your policy number, address & personal details ready.
2. Fill in and submit your claim online.
3. You'll receive a confirmation email and we’ll let you know the next steps.

Make a claim

• Log in to myRAC to make a claim or view your policy online.
• If you haven’t registered yet, you’ll need to register first.
• Find the policy and select ‘Make a claim’.
• You can upload supporting documents and images about your claim if needed.

Log in to myRAC

• Call our Perth claims team on 13 17 03
• Monday to Friday: 7am to 8:30pm.
• Weekends and public holidays: 8:30am to 5pm

When claiming for building damage, we’ll ask you about the level of damage and your safety. Once you submit your claim, we’ll get a repairer to contact you within two business days and assess your damage. If your building is unsafe, they’ll contact you within two business hours.

For contents claims, you may need to list all your damaged items or, depending on your circumstances, we may assign a restorer to take care of this. Once you submit your claim, the restorer will contact you within two hours or, if you’ve claimed online, we may contact you within one business day.

When there’s been a serious storm, the timeframes can be a bit longer than indicated. Also, our phone lines may be very busy and claiming online may be quicker. Please note the process for fence damage is different. Whether you claim online or over the phone, we’ll guide you through the process.