GOT PASSPORT ? 3/6/2010 AU,AUTO HAIL REPAIR
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www.theage.com.au/victoria/storm-brings-chaos-to-melbourne-20100306-ppm4.html?autostart=1
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THE insurance industry is expecting 40,000 claims for home and car damage to pour in after the freak hail storm that wreaked destruction across Melbourne and parts of Victoria.
The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has invoked its Catastrophe Coordination Arrangements and established a taskforce to handle the massive inflow of claims expected to reach into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Hail stones the size of cricket balls smashed into cars and houses in a one-hour burst on Saturday afternoon, causing havoc and severe damage.
Part of the roof of the Southern Cross railway station and the nearby Etihad Stadium collapsed under the huge weight of water that fell in the downpour.
Vehicles in car yards in eastern Melbourne were badly damaged with their windscreens shattered and panels dented and roofs were torn off houses in the wild storm.
The ICA declared the storm a catastrophe just two hours after the event.
The peak industry body is encouraging policy holders to contact their insurance company and not to be concerned if insurance documents have been lost.
It says that while water and mud-damaged possessions, such as carpets and soft furnishings, can usually be removed for hygiene reasons it is best to take photographs and record details of each item.
Home and vehicle insurer RACV says it has received 3000 claims but that figure is growing all the time.
"In my 10 years in the job it's the worst I've seen,'' RACV claims officer John Simpson told AAP.
"Cars have been damaged by hail or inundated if they were in car parks or in the CBD when the storm hit.''
He said Melbourne's eastern and southeast suburbs were hit the worst.
Etihad Stadium chief executive Ian Collins said the storm caused some serious water damage to the arena with the worst-hit section in the entertainment and dining areas.
He said the stadium's playing field, seating bowl and retractable roof escaped damage.
"It's too early to put a dollar value on the damage but it would be considerable,'' Mr Collins said.
