Prior notice would be helpfully indeed.

Check the barometric pressure differentiation between Darwin and Hawaii, that can give a reasonable indication of the PDO and the development of a La Niña dominant trend, a fair indication of flood activity. Would be a safe bet that the flood will hit roughly the same river systems as before.

Just count the numbers back from the last flood and you may see a pattern. Ditto with El Niño drought indicators.

Whilst prioritising funds for mitigation, one thing we can be assured of is that it WILL definitely happen again. Unless of course we take the advice of Flannery etc.

Prompete, "I would suggest that the insurance companies, those that have a little dotted line on the map wherein those that build inside the line will not get flood insurance, are a better mob to listen to than the Flanneries and Steffens"

The only reliance you can put on all insurers EXCEPT for the very, very, few ethical companies like Suncorp (who immediately did the right thing in the Brisbane floods) is that insurers will find every niggling opportunity to reject a claim.

We had flood insurance with another major insurer on a property that was above the 100yr flood line. In fact it had never ever been flooded, but flash flood it did and later it was inundated. Even where the Financial Ombudsman has found against this insurer, the insurer continues to delay finding more impediments to paying. Of course if and when the insurer does pay for some items in the scope of works, it has already determined it will be paying the lowest possible project home costs regardless that the home was constructed to a high standard of finish and insured by valuation. It does not feel obliged to follow its own insurance conditions.

Two years later and because repairs have already been done at homeowner expense (direction from government to repair or else), of course the Insurer is easily able to avoid the lion's share of the actual costs of repair. The insurer avoids the complex and expensive management and trades costs after the floods. No wonder the subject insurer is posting healthy profits and up since it ramped up premiums after the floods for claims it knocked back or has frustrated for two years.

No support from the federal government for members of the public of course.

Onthebeach. Point most definitely taken. I retract the (toung in cheek) advice to take heed of insurance company determinations, being in the position of sitting back here in Adelaide and not being involved or affected by those floods.

As you have found, to a far greater extent than I, have also been on the 'dud end' of an insurance claim.

I do however reiterate my concerns regarding 'advice' given by 'the experts' and touted by many in the MSM.

It appears that, once again, those paid extraordinary amounts of money to provide expert advice are not held accountable for the advice given. The federal support the public has received has been in the form of employing said 'experts' to advise on the handling of these things in the future.

My full support in your insurance prevails.

You have my sympathy onthebeach, being flooded out must be almost as bad as being burnt out, & result in much more dirty physical work.

You must remember though, that mostly you get what you pay for.

I took my insurance from Suncorp, when they got too expensive, with their inclusion of flood on all policies. Living on the top of a hill I am not interested in subsidising the insurance those in flood prone areas. I can also understand that those in safe secure suburbs aren't too interested in covering those close to nature, & in danger from bush fires.

I am of course a little worried that the company offering the lower premium may be less likely to cover something I don't know about, but a saving of something over $1000 a year in premium has an attraction.

I see 579 is starting to wake up to economics with his statement, "When things are on an even kiel mitigation gets forgotten about besides it could be money spent on something that will never happen". Now if we can just get him to apply this new wisdom to the global warming scam, he may actually start to talk some sense.

You could pinpoint the next flood, who are you Houdine.
HasBeen GW is divided just like politics. It has been an excellent exercise to me, i will pay power no more.
Best not to live in areas likely prone to flooding, whether there has ever been a flood there or not. You don't have to be a GW addict, just say you are applying some common sense.
Elevation is everything, so before buying a block have a good look around.