Springwood is among the top 10 storm-affected suburbs in the Sydney region, according to new data released by NRMA Insurance.
The Lower Mountains town came eighth in the storm-affected list from the last financial year.
Castle Hill and Wahroonga topped the list.
Blue Mountains SES Unit Commander John Hughes backed up the figures.
“We only had a total of 352 jobs across the Mountains in the last financial year, of which 52 where in the Springwood/Winmalee area which is a significant percentage,” he said.
“Most of the reported storm damage in Springwood came in mid-April 2018, and also the last couple of weeks in January 2018.”
The NRMA data shows despite NSW experiencing one of its driest years on record, nearly half (41 per cent) of all home claims made in NSW in the last financial year were the result of storm damage.
The storm season from October 2017 to March 2018 saw the most damage, with 71 per cent of all storm related home claims in NSW occurring during this period.
New behavioural research conducted by NRMA also reveals that people in NSW are underestimating the damage storms cause every year. Three quarters (74 per cent) of those surveyed in NSW say they do not think storms are the most costly natural disaster to hit the state every year. This is despite long term NRMA Insurance data showing that 61 per cent of all home claims over the past five years (2013-2018) in NSW were due to storm damage, and that storms cost NSW over $1.56 billion every year.
Those least likely to prepare their homes for storms are people that live in apartments (39 per cent compared to 54 per cent of people in houses), Millennials (44 per cent compared to 57 per cent of those aged over 45) and people living in urban areas (47 per cent compared to 59 per cent of those from regional areas).
The new data and research was released by NRMA Insurance, which has partnered with the NSW SES for the seventh consecutive year to encourage people to get ready for storm season.
Ramana James, Executive General Manager, Safer Communities for NRMA Insurance said: “It’s concerning that despite the significant damage severe storms can cause, many Australians are still underestimating the impact of storms.”
For more tips on storm preparation and flexible ways to volunteer with the NSW SES, visit: www.ses.nsw.gov.au.