Damage bill from devastating Mildura hail storm passes $100 million

(No one, well, at least no one I know, would attribute this significant event in Mildura to climate change, but the disruption to Earth’s weather system certainly makes such occurrences more likely, especially in their intensity and severity – Robert McLean)

Wine grape grower Russell McManus with
some severely damaged wine grape
 vines on his property near Mildura. 

The damage bill from the devastating hail storm that hit Mildura recently has passed $100 million and is expected to climb higher.

New figures from the Insurance Council of Australia reveal that the storm, which hit Victoria's Sunraysia district and communities in NSW and South Australia, has already generated about 20,000 insurance claims, with insurance losses so far estimated at $115 million across the three states.

But the final toll is likely to be higher, given some damage is not insured.

Campbell Fuller from the Insurance Council said it is expected to "take several months for the full extent of the losses to be known".

Read Darren Gray’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “Damage bill from devastating Mildura hail storm passes $100 million.”