Communities Left Reeling From 1 in 500 Year Flood Event in the Mid North Coast 

NIBA acknowledges the devastating impact of the severe flooding that is unfolding across the Mid North Coast and Hunter regions of New South Wales and stands in solidarity with affected communities. 

At least five people have died and more than 50,000 people remain isolated in what is being termed as a 1 in a 500 year flood event. Emergency workers have performed at least 765 flood rescues so far, noted NSW Premier, the Hon Chris Minns in a media statement. 

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 over the past week. 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 is a massive power outage. There are major transformers that need to be replaced. I know there’s at least one major company that won’t have power until Friday this week,” Jeremy added. 

Wayne Egelton, NIBA’s National Partnerships Manager, is one of the many people who have been isolated at South West Rocks due to the impact of the floods.  

“We expected a couple of wet days but nothing to this magnitude,” said Wayne. 

“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.  

“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.  

Jeremy commends the resilience of the community despite the severity of the impact that this natural disaster has had. 

“The community has really driven the initial clean up efforts,” he said.  

“Thankfully, things have been moving pretty quickly on the claims side of things as well, with quite a few of our early claims already reviewed. 

“I have been telling people that it doesn’t matter if you’re my client, I will do my best to help, because I want to see this community get back on its feet at the earliest,” Jeremy said. 

The federal and state governments have activated disaster assistance under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) for affected Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the Hunter and Mid North Coast. Personal hardship payments for impacted individuals and households have also been announced.  

NIBA commends the tireless efforts of emergency services and local volunteers and urges everyone in the region to prioritise safety.

Download the Hazards Near Me app for the latest warnings and advice. For evacuation centre locations and more information, visit the NSW SES website.

Visit the Live Traffic NSW website for the latest road closures and traffic conditions.