Halloween Hailstorm

On the afternoon of Saturday 31 October 2020, a supercell dropped giant hail, up to 14 cm across, the largest ever confirmed in Australia at the time, along a corridor from Amberley through to the northern suburbs of Logan. Springfield Lakes was the worst-affected community, with significant damage across the Ipswich and Logan council areas, hail near 7 cm around Gympie, and 100+ km/h wind damage from Redcliffe to Kingston around Moreton Bay.

The Insurance Council of Australia declared it an insurance catastrophe (CAT 204) on 1 November 2020, the first of the 2020-21 season.

The damage. The final tally exceeded 44,000 claims and roughly $1.08 billion in insured losses, including more than 20,000 home building claims for roofs, solar panels, guttering, walls and internal water damage.

Can you still claim? Sometimes, but the window matters here more than for newer events. There’s generally no fixed deadline to lodge a claim, and an insurer usually can’t refuse one for lateness alone; but the limitation period for taking an insurer to court is six years, and after several years the burden of showing damage came from this storm rather than subsequent weather or wear becomes real. If you suspect unrepaired 2020 hail damage, get it assessed now. A documented, ICA-declared 14 cm hail event over your suburb is strong supporting evidence, and waiting only weakens it.