Storm or cyclone damage to your business: what to do next

Storms and cyclones rarely hit only one part of a business. The roof leaks onto the stock, the power goes, the phones drop out, staff can’t get to work and customers stay home. Recovery means dealing with several small crises at once, which is why a plan helps.

Here’s the order we suggest. The same steps are in our emergency action checklist under “Storm or cyclone”.

What should you do in the first 24 hours after storm damage?

Wait for the all-clear from emergency services and your state SES. Fallen power lines, damaged roofs and debris are dangerous, and cyclone aftermath often includes flooding.

Then:

1. Photograph and video the damage — outside and in, including the roof, ceilings, stock and equipment.
2. Prevent further damage. Tarp the roof, board broken windows, move stock away from leaks. Insurers generally expect reasonable steps. Keep every receipt.
3. Lodge the insurance claim and note the claim number, the name of the person you spoke to and what they told you.
4. Check on staff and tell them when you’ll next be in touch.
5. Protect refrigerated or perishable stock if you can — or record what’s lost, with temperatures and times if you have them.
6. Look at cash on hand and what must be paid this week.

What should you do in the first week?

• Search DisasterAssist for your local government area and check business.gov.au’s current assistance list. Our guide to DisasterAssist shows how.
• Queensland businesses: check QRIDA. Business.gov.au lists QRIDA’s Disaster Assistance Loans and Essential Working Capital Loans for events including Cyclone Alfred (March 2025), North Queensland flooding (2025 and 2025–26) and Cyclone Narelle (March 2026). See concessional disaster loans.
• NSW businesses: check the NSW Rural Assistance Authority and Service NSW. Natural Disaster Relief Loans of up to $130,000 have been offered for recent events, and Service NSW ran recovery grants of up to $25,000 after the May 2025 severe weather.
• Call the ATO Emergency Support Infoline (1800 806 218) before any BAS or payment due date you won’t meet.
• Talk to your bank about repayment pauses or hardship arrangements.
• Get repair quotes and ask trades for realistic start dates — after big storms, builders book out quickly.

Who should you call after a storm or cyclone?

Contact	Why
000	Immediate danger
State SES	Storm and flood help (check your state’s SES website)
Your insurer	Claim, assessor, approval for repairs
Electricity distributor	Outage and restoration times
ATO — 1800 806 218	Deferrals, payment plans, lost records
business.gov.au — 13 28 46	Current programs for your event
QRIDA or NSW RAA	Concessional disaster loans where activated
Small Business Debt Helpline — 1800 413 828	Free financial counselling

What if the damage is mostly lost trade?

Plenty of storm-affected businesses have little physical damage but lose a week or more of trade to power outages, closed roads or customers who can’t get there. That loss is harder to claim and easier to underestimate.

Record lost trading days, compare sales against the same period last year, and keep supplier invoices for spoiled stock. If you have business interruption cover, read the wording on utility outages and prevention of access carefully. Our page on power and access outages goes further.

How do businesses fund storm and cyclone recovery?

Insurers and grant programs pay on their own timetable, and repairers often want deposits. That timing gap is the most common reason businesses look for recovery funding after a storm. You can check your options with a quick enquiry — it takes about a minute and doesn’t involve a credit check.

Situation	Funding route
Repairs must start before the claim settles	Property-secured loan, repaid from the payout
Trading but short of working capital	Unsecured cash-flow funding, typically $5,000 to $500,000
Refrigeration, machinery or vehicles written off	Equipment replacement finance
Waiting on a concessional loan approval	Short bridge until it’s approved and drawn
Payout will fall short	See the underinsurance gap

Illustrative example only: a wholesale business in North Queensland loses part of its roof and a cool room. The insurer approves emergency repairs, but the cool room replacement will take weeks to settle. The owner uses a short property-secured facility to replace it immediately so orders keep flowing, and repays it from the claim.

What mistakes cost businesses the most after a storm?

• Throwing out damaged stock before it’s photographed. Evidence first, skip bin second.
• Signing with the first door-knocking repairer. After big storms, check licences, get written quotes and never pay large cash deposits to strangers.
• Missing grant or loan deadlines. Programs close; put the date in your calendar the day you find them.
• Assuming the ATO knows you’re affected. Automatic deferrals may apply in some areas, but a call confirms where you stand.
• Paying for repairs from money set aside for tax. It just moves the problem to BAS time.

What should you keep on file?

• Photos, video and receipts for emergency repairs
• Insurer correspondence and claim numbers
• Repair and replacement quotes
• Bank statements and sales reports showing normal trade and the drop
• Outage notices from the electricity distributor
• Grant and loan applications, approvals and conditions

Is it time to talk to someone about funding?

When repair invoices land before the insurer or the grant does, a short, well-sized facility can keep the recovery moving.

A human being, not an auto-dialler, calls to talk it through with you. We won’t pull your credit file just because you asked a question — that waits until you say go. You won’t get a wave of calls from lenders you’ve never heard of, because we don’t pass enquiries around.

Honest, precise answers — the sum, what it pays for, your state, any real estate — mean we can point you in the right direction straight away. Open the enquiry form.