Many business owners will require resilience to recover from the effects of recent flooding in New Zealand's largest city, according to Nick Meister, executive manager, business at Vero Insurance.
He promoted safety first and a practical cleanup strategy in the wake of the catastrophic weather events.
Meister said Vero had seen a steady influx of business and corporate claims, some of which had sizeable reserves because commercial areas were also affected by flooding. Stock, building plant and business interruption claims were expected.
“The repair cost could be significant for some of our customers' buildings and contents. We’ve seen business premises, vehicles, stock and equipment that have had water flooding up to 1.5 metres or have been totally immersed. Due to ongoing supply chain issues and the demand this event will have on trade services, it could take many months for some repairs to be done and claims to be settled.”
He said small businesses were the backbone of the economy and the city's suppliers, so it would be a priority for the insurer to assist in getting customers trading again.
“The Auckland floods have demonstrated the resilience of Kiwis in the face of a natural disaster. New Zealand business owners are also showing that resilience and are wanting to get on with cleaning up and returning to work.”
“We’re committed to maintaining the livelihoods of you and your employees. It is what we do. We’re here to help.”
