As was widely reported at the time, Greater Melbourne, as well as other centres in the state, was hit by a severe storm on 6 March 2010. The storm featured a large quantity of hail followed by heavy rainfall. Whilst there was some damage caused by direct impact by hailstones, the principal damage suffered by Members related to water ingress as gutters became chocked with ice and overflowed. All four of the Mutual’s Melbourne University Members sustained damage, although only two went on to submit claims exceeding their respective retentions. In addition, a Member in regional NSW sustained minor damage as part of the same weather system.

From a loss prevention perspective, the significant lesson to emerge from the Melbourne storm is the risk posed by box gutters. When these become blocked or overwhelmed, they tend to overflow within the building, rather than away from the building as with conventional gutters.