NIBA / Professionalism
Communities Left Reeling From 1 in 500 Year Flood Event in the Mid North Coast
Insurance brokers are deeply embedded in the communities they serve. During natural disasters like these, they are on the frontline to support their clients by providing trusted guidance, navigating immediate challenges, assisting with claims, and helping communities begin the road to recovery. Jeremy Thornton, Director at Complete Risk Solutions, shared what the situation on the ground has been like at Taree in the Mid North Coast. “People can’t quite compute what’s happened. The severity of this flood event has totally re-written things,” Jeremy said. “You look back at the 150-year history of this town [Taree], and you can see that there have been floods here in the past. People know that. But this was different and completely unexpected. “There [was] a massive power outage. There [were] major transformers that need to be replaced,” Jeremy added. Wayne Egelton, NIBA’s National Partnerships Manager, was isolated at South West Rocks due to the impact of the floods. NIBA acknowledges the devastating impact of the severe flooding that recently unfolded across the Mid North Coast and Hunter regions of New South Wales and stands in solidarity with affected communities.
“The reality hit home for me when I saw firsthand cows up to their neck in flood water. We are in a comfortable holiday house, but my heart goes out to those who are feeling the full brunt of this weather event and have lost so much,” Wayne concluded.
“The coastal township [South West Rocks] we were staying at became totally isolated very quickly. All roads were flooded. By Wednesday last week, there was no fresh food available in the town; no bread, milk, fresh fruit and vegetables, no garbage collections, and most shops and cafes in town closed as they had no basic supplies that make everyday life work,” Wayne elaborated.
18 / INSURANCE ADVISER JUNE/JULY 2025
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