Insurance information has shown that more 52% of home claims made regarding damage in NSW over the past year has been due to storm damage, in part due to less than 1 in 10 state residents recognising storms as a potential risk to property.

NSW SES commissioner Mark Smethurst said that many residents in the Hunter region need to create an emergency plan, and many need to maintain regular safety frameworks to ensure their properties aren’t getting damaged by regular storms.

“During the last storm season, NSW SES volunteers responded to over 20,000 storm and flood related calls for assistance, however many of these could have been prevented,” NSW SES Commissioner Mark Smethurst said.

“People can be proactive now by preparing their homes, having an emergency kit ready and making an emergency plan. These steps are very simple, but incredibly effective in helping prevent injury and damage during storms.”

The research, conducted by NRMA Insurance, revealed that only one in five (21%) of NSW residents regularly maintain their home in case a storm hits, while only 33% have an emergency plan.

Five percent of all storms in the state come in the Hunter region, including Scone, Muswellbrook, Forster, Cessnock, Charlestown and Merewether.

East Maitland, Gloucester, Wallsend and Salamander Bay round out the top ten storm-related areas in the Hunter Valley.