Young is the eighth most storm affected town in New South Wales, according to NRMA data for the 2016-2017 financial year.
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Not only was Young eighth on the NRMA list, it was also the only town or suburb on the list of top 10 storm sites outside the Sydney metropolitan area.
On a regional basis Young was included in the South-East NSW area which came in tenth overall for storms throughout the state.
The list for the top ten most storm affected towns/suburbs in NSW was:
Kellyville in Sydney was named the most storm affected postcode.
St Ives, Rouse Hill, Wahroonga, Turramurra, Beaumont Hills, 7 Castle Hill, Young, Pymble and Glenhaven were the nine next most affected towns or suburbs..
According to the NRMA people are severely underestimating the impact storms have with less than 1 in 10 recognising storms are the biggest threat to their homes, while 46 percent of all residents in NSW have not taken any action to prepare their homes for storms.
With the new data released both NRMA Insurance and the NSW SES are urging residents to prepare their homes for storm season.
“It’s concerning that NSW residents underestimate the impact of storms,” Ramana James, Head of Shared Value for NRMA Insurance said.
“Despite NSW experiencing its driest September on record, October marks the start of storm season and we have already seen severe storms strike many parts of the state.
“Little acts like trimming branches, clearing your gutters and securing loose items in your garden or balcony can make a big difference when severe weather strikes.”
The research conducted by NRMA Insurance also revealed that only one in five (21 percent) of NSW residents regularly maintain their home in case a storm hits, only a third (33 percent) have an emergency plan, and even less have an emergency kit ready in case they need to quickly evacuate their home.
“During the last storm season, NSW SES volunteers responded to over 20,000 storm and flood related calls for assistance, however many of these could have been prevented,” NSW SES Commissioner Mark Smethurst said.