Insurers will hold an in-person insurance hub in Port Pirie in mid-December for policyholders with losses from the severe storm that struck the South Australian regional centre on Nov. 22.
The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) and several insurers will travel to Port Pirie on Dec. 16 and 17 to meet customers affected by the storm. The insurance hub will operate from 9am to 5pm on both days at the Royal Port Pirie Yacht Club, 61 Main Road, Solomontown, South Australia. Policyholders can meet one-on-one with representatives from participating insurers to ask questions about existing claims, clarify coverage, and lodge new claims arising from the event.
The ICA said the hub provides another channel for customers beyond call centres and digital platforms, including for residents in the regional community affected by the event. ICA director of mitigation and extreme weather response Liam Walter said insurers are already handling more than 1,400 claims linked to the Port Pirie storm and damage across the region. “Insurance hubs provide an opportunity for impacted locals to understand more about the claims process, as well as meet with a representative of their insurer to discuss their claim,” Walter said.
ICA staff will also be present to explain the general claims lifecycle, outline options for dispute resolution, and provide information for policyholders on recovery and rebuilding decisions. While walk-ins may be possible, registrations are recommended, with bookings available via the ICA website.
The insurance hub follows a storm cell that passed over Port Pirie on the evening of Nov. 22, bringing strong winds, hail, and heavy rain. According to an ABC report, thousands of residents in and around the town experienced power cuts after the storm damaged roofs and brought down trees and electricity infrastructure. Wind gusts of 119 kilometres per hour were recorded after 8pm, and the State Emergency Service (SES) received 170 calls for assistance in 12 hours.
SES acting chief officer Kirsty Phelps said the event stood out in local records. “This is the most significant storm event we’ve had in the Port Pirie region on record,” she said, noting that about 350 call-outs led to the deployment of 165 volunteers to the Mid North town. South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas referred to the weather system as a “severe storm cell” that was “sudden” and “not anticipated by the Bureau of Meteorology.” He added: “We saw wind gusts of up to 120 km/h spiked then very quickly turned back to normal levels.”
The storm also caused damage to the electricity network servicing Port Pirie and surrounding areas. SA Power Networks external affairs manager Cecilia Schutz said a short storm cell led to failures across the local grid, including multiple downed powerlines. At the height of the event, about 4,900 households were without power. “We had over a dozen poles and associated infrastructure either pushed over or completely brought out off the ground. To give some perspective, these are the kind of figures and the level of damage you would expect to see on the network at a statewide level during a prolonged weather event. So, this is an hour in the Port Pirie area, a very high level of damage … a level of damage we didn’t predict,” Schutz said. She said 72 SA Power Networks crews and contractors were deployed to restore power, with most customers expected to have supply back by Sunday night following the storm.
A Bureau of Meteorology spokesperson said the agency first flagged the potential for thunderstorms in the Port Pirie area in a Saturday morning forecast and later issued two severe thunderstorm warnings at 7:14pm and 8:11pm. “Observations from the Port Pirie Airport AWS [automatic weather station] show wind gusts started increasing from 8:09pm peaking at 119 km/h between 8:18–8:24pm. 15 mm of rain was recorded in 20 minutes,” the spokesperson said, as reported by ABC.
