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Cyclone support

Preparing for cyclones in Australia

Every year, Australia’s high-risk cyclone areas can expect an average of two to three cyclones to cross the coast during the November to April cyclone season. Combining strong winds, heavy rain, and flying debris, cyclones can be devastating. Preparing your home can not only help reduce damage, but it can also help protect you from the financial and emotional impact of cyclones.

At Allianz, we’ve been helping Australians get back on their feet after adverse events for over 100 years. We offer cover for a range of insured events such as storm and cyclone. Please note, a 72 hour exclusion period may apply. For full details about what is and isn’t covered, check your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), Policy Schedule or Certificate of Insurance.

Developing your emergency action plan

Include the entire household and children. Make sure you discuss:
  • Plans for when your household members will and won’t be home
  • Workplace, school, or apartment plans that may impact members of your household – how will you stay in touch if you’re separated and where you’ll meet
  • What you’ll do to reduce damage to your home or contents 
  • How and where:

    • you turn off power, gas, and water supplies
    • valuables and important documents are stored
    • your household emergency kit is stored
  • Your emergency telephone list
  • What role each family member will take during an emergency
  • What arrangements you’ll make for your pets to make sure they’re safe with food and water 
  • Know where you’ll shelter or where to go if you need to self-evacuate

Developing your emergency kit

Remember, you may be alone for up to three days – so make sure your kit will sustain you and your household. Prepare for disruption to power and water supplies, unreliable communication methods, injury, and dangerous elements.

Emergency kit checklist

  • Battery-operated radio with spare batteries
  • Torch with spare batteries, candles, and waterproof matches
  • Three days of non-perishable foods and a can opener
  • 10 litres of bottled water per person
  • First aid kit and manual with any essential medicines
  • A change of warm clothes for each person and closed-in shoes
  • Blankets or sleeping bags
  • Toilet paper and essential toiletries, including sunscreen and insect repellent
  • Special needs for infants, the aged and people with disabilities
  • Money
  • Important documents (birth and marriage certificates, driver’s licence, passports, insurance policies and photos)
  • Sealable waterproof bags
  • Mobile phone, charger, and power bank
  • Extra car and house keys
  • A copy of your household plan
  • Pet supplies
  • Portable cooker (if using gas, remember to have spare canisters or bottles)
  • Cooking and eating utensils

Tips for kits

  • Store your kit in an easy-to-reach, dry place
  • Every member of your house should know where the kit is stored
  • Check the contents of your kit at least once a year to make sure items still work and consumables aren’t past their use-by date – batteries, water and non-perishables will perish over time
  • An emergency kit can also double as a camping kit – stock your kit at the beginning of the wet season and use it in the dry each year

When cyclones hit, your family’s safety comes first. Contact 000 in any emergency.

What to do when a cyclone watch is issued

  • Check your property for any loose material and tie down (or fill with water) any large or relatively light items such as boats and rubbish bins
  • Fill your vehicles’ fuel tanks and jerry cans with fuel
  • Check your emergency kit and fill any water containers you may have
  • Make sure household members know what the strongest part of the house is and what to do in the event of a cyclone warning or evacuation
  • Tune in to your local radio or television stations for more information and warnings
  • Check neighbours are aware of the situation and are prepared

What to do when a cyclone warning is issued

  • Activate your household emergency plan and finalise your emergency kit
  • Collect children from school or childcare centres and go home
  • Park vehicles under solid shelter (handbrake on and in gear)
  • Secure outdoor furniture, garden items, caravans, and boats
  • Loose items may be locked inside
  • Close shutters and board up or block all windows
  • Draw curtains and secure all external doors and windows
  • Shelter and secure pets and animals
  • Stay tuned to your local radio or television for more information
  • Fill your bathtubs and buckets with water

What to do when a cyclone strikes

  • Turn off power, gas, and water supplies
  • Disconnect all electrical appliances
  • Stay inside your shelter area in the strongest part of your home
  • Shift furniture and fixtures away from windows and doors
  • Listen to your portable radio for cyclone updates
  • If the building starts to break up, protect yourself with mattresses, rugs, and blankets under a strong table, or hold onto a solid fixture, for example a water pipe
  • Beware of the calm ‘eye’ – if the wind drops, don’t assume the cyclone is over; violent winds will soon resume from another direction
  • Wait for the official ‘all clear’ if driving
  • Stop clear of trees, power lines and streams

What to do after a cyclone

  • Listen to the local radio for official warnings and advice
  • Don’t go outside until advised officially that it’s safe
  • If you need to go outside, beware of fallen powerlines, damaged buildings and trees, and flooded water courses
  • Check for gas leaks and don’t use electrical appliances if wet
  • If you had to evacuate, don’t go home until advised
  • Use the route recommended and stay calm
  • Don’t ignore warnings and don’t go sightseeing, stay where you are if it's safe
  • Check on neighbours and help them if necessary and safe to do so
  • Don’t make unnecessary telephone calls
  • Always assume downed powerlines are live and lethal

How to lodge a claim

Our priority is your safety. Keep yourself and your family out of harm’s way until the danger is over. Then, when it’s safe to do so, contact us. Our claims team will be ready to help with enquiries and lodging claims to make sure you get quick, expert assistance and support. You don’t need your policy documents. We can locate these details for you.

If your property or motor vehicles are damaged because of cyclones*, flooding*, storms*, or bushfires*, it’s best to lodge a claim online to minimise delays. A consultant will contact you as soon as possible. Otherwise, call us on 13 10 13, or contact your broker.

* We don’t provide cover for any loss of or damage to your property caused by cyclone, flood, grassfires and bushfires during the first 72 hours after you first purchase a policy or increase your cover under an existing policy. For full details of conditions and exclusions please refer to the relevant PDS.

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Allianz acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live and work across Australia. We pay our respect to First Nations Elders past and present.



Any advice here does not take into account your individual objectives, financial situation or needs. Terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions apply. Before making a decision about this insurance, consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS)/Policy Wording and Supplementary PDS (if applicable). Where applicable, the PDS/Policy Wording, Supplementary PDS and Target Market Determination (TMD) for this insurance are available on this website. We do not provide any form of advice if you call us to enquire about or purchase a product.

Allianz Australia Insurance Limited ABN 15 000 122 850 AFS Licence No. 234708 is the insurer of any general insurance products offered, and Allianz Australia Life Insurance Limited ABN 27 076 033 782 AFS Licence No. 296559 is the insurer of any life insurance products offered. Each entity is responsible for any statements and representations made about its products, on this website.