As the mop-up, recovery, and relief efforts continue following the storms that left a trail of destruction in six district municipalities of KwaZulu-Natal, the cost of the devastation has begun to emerge.
The estimated costs of damage amount to over R1.3 billion for the entire province, with eThekwini Metro alone accounting for over R480 million. Ongoing assessments indicate that over 7000 households so far have been affected.
About 20 schools were severely damaged, and roads, bridges, community halls, and electricity infrastructure have also been impacted.
Many of those who have had their homes damaged or destroyed in the tornado are uninsured or find that their insurance only covers the structural damage to their home and not their belongings, leaving them to shoulder the huge financial burden of rebuilding all on their own.
Wynand van Vuuren, partner of client experience at King Price Insurance, said: “Damage caused by natural disasters can be a devastating blow to your finances. Most South Africans focus on insuring themselves against robbery and break-ins but do not pay enough attention to protecting their possessions against natural disasters. In South Africa, most natural disasters are covered by comprehensive insurance policies but many people are either not insured or under-insured.”
Njabulo Sibisi, one of the tornado victims in Sandfields, Tongaat, is facing rebuilding efforts without any home insurance. “After the tornado came and went it took the roof with it and pulled everything from inside the house to leave it scattered around the yard. Since there was no roof now there is nothing to protect from the rain and we were left sleeping outside. We are waiting and hoping for a sponsor to aid us we cannot afford to repair it on our own and without insurance there is nobody to help me cover the costs” said Sibisi.
Krishen Ramlukam is also facing rebuilding his home without the aid of insurance. “We have major structural damage, we are going to have to take down and relay some walls, and parts of the roof have completely broken off, not just tiles but entire roof trusses. In addition to the structural damage, there is also damage to our belongings inside the house. With no roof, the rain following the tornado did significant damage to anything that the tornado spared. Currently, we only have some tarps to protect us from the rain. In terms of the cost of the damages, we do not yet know the exact amounts but it’s going to be a lot. We need engineers to come through and asses the building to give us a clear understanding of the full extent of the damage. It’s going to be a significant financial loss and we have no insurance so everything lost or damaged, inside or outside is a cost that falls on me. It’s going to take a long time to rebuild,” said Ramlukam.
According to Mandy Barret of insurance brokerage and risk advisors, Aon South Africa it is imperative to check whether your insurance policy is geared to address what the insurance industry terms ‘acts of God’.
“In most insurance policies you will find that you are covered for basic perils which include hail, server rain storms, and wind storms such as tornados. It is, however, a good idea to confirm as, hail damage, for example, can be excluded on some insurance policies unless specified” warned Barret.
She said it was important to take note of what your insurance policies cover. “You will be covered under your homeowner’s insurance if a tornado blows the roof of your home, but the same insurance policy will not respond to the damage done to furniture, electrical appliances, or the condense of your cupboards. The same goes for vehicles that are parked in a garage,” explained Barret.
The Subramoney family found themselves in this situation, with cover for the structural damage to their house but not their belongings inside the home. Trishmica Subramoney said: “We had structural damage to the roof but our belongings inside the house were significantly damaged. We are renting here and the homeowner has insurance that covers the structure of the house but not anything inside. We lost furniture and appliances, I’m studying and have not lost my desktop computer, my cellphone and study materials are all gone. This has been a major financial blow to our family. I am studying and as such am unemployed, my mother is unemployed, it’s just my dad who’s working and it has been difficult on him. He still has to pay our rent and our municipal bills while still trying to find money to replace the household items that we lost.”
