Yes, there’s cover if a natural disaster such as an earthquake, cyclone, flood, volcano, tsunami, or asteroid hitting earth that affects your travel plans and/or injures you.
However, it goes without saying that you need to have your policy before these forces of mass destruction become a known event. So if you’ve done that, we’ll do everything we can to help you.
Yes. If you’re unlucky enough to be injured by a natural disaster, our emergency assistance team can help you get to the nearest medical centre, so that you can receive the medical attention you need. If you’re so badly hurt that the emergency assistance team decides you need to go home, they can organise to transport you home. However, once you’re home, we’re not able to cover ongoing medical costs, so you’ll need to hit up Medicare or your private health insurer. You can find out further information here on how we help travellers with overseas medical treatment.
Yes, there’s cover if you need to cancel your trip due to severe weather or a natural disaster. It’s a pretty good idea to give some thought to what kind of trip you’re doing when buying a policy, as the amount you’re covered for depends on which plan you buy.
If you’re already on the road and your trip is interrupted by a natural disaster, you can claim for additional transport and accommodation costs to help you get your trip back on track.
As the policy is outside of its cooling off period and you’ve travelled on it, there are no refunds. You are, however, welcome to make a claim for any additional expenses you might have incurred.
Funnily, we get asked this a lot; so here’s something we prepared earlier, a step by step guide on how to claim
It’s important that you contact your our emergency assistance team as soon as you can so that they can help you out. Their details can be found in on the following page as well as on your certificate of insurance.
Following a disaster there may be rapidly moving water that can carry infections. Disasters resulting in massive structural damage can also result in exposure to chemical or biologic contaminants (i.e. asbestos).
In the case of earthquakes, do not return to your hotel / accommodations, or any building, if they are in any way damaged, as aftershocks could cause a collapse.
Move to the nearest open area (oval, park) away from damaged buildings, trees or roads where power lines may have fallen.
If you are in an area prone to landslides and mudslides (i.e. very steep slopes, canyons, high rainfall zones) be aware of any sudden increase or decrease in water level on a stream or creek that might indicate debris flow upstream. A trickle of flowing mud may precede a larger flow. Look for tilted trees, telephone poles, fences, or walls, and for new holes or bare spots on hillsides. Listen for rumbling sounds that might indicate an approaching landslide or mudflow.
Disease can spread very quickly post disaster, so ensure you protect against injuries and infections by wearing sturdy footwear. Tetanus is a potential health threat for cuts and grazes so make sure you see your doctor before you travel and update your preventative medications.
Frequent hand washing helps keep germs at bay. (If a traveller becomes unwell within six weeks of returning home and has fever, rash, respiratory illness or any other unusual symptoms, advise a physician of having just returned from a disaster-affected region.)
Drink only sealed bottled, boiled or disinfected water. For more information refer to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website (http://www.cdc.gov/).
In the event of diarrhoea, replace lost fluids with clean drinking water or oral rehydration solutions.
Please read the PDS for full terms, conditions and exclusions.
We’re here to help if you have a question about travel insurance. We’re available:
Before your trip, check to see if there are current travel alerts for your destination – you can also view the latest government advice.
Gaza−Israel conflict: For travellers in, or planning on travelling to, Israel or the Palestinian Territories, please see our travel alert with more information.