Gore community leaders believe the actual cost will be much higher.
Insurance Council of New Zealand figures show insurance companies have paid out on more than 1710 claims for storm-related damage, including $8.7million to commercial businesses, $4.3 million in domestic claims, $420,000 in vehicle damage claims and $3.1 million on other insured losses.
ICNZ communications manager Leah McNeil said while the statistics did not single out the Southland flood, the majority of claims would have been in relation to that event.
In February, as flooding hit the lower South Island, the potential threat posed by Ouvea premix, widespread state highway closures and evacuations in Mataura, Wyndham and large parts of Gore grabbed headlines.
Milford Sound was also evacuated after major damage to the state highway.
In total, about 3900 people were evacuated from homes in the region.
Southland Federated Farmers vice-president Bernadette Hunt said she believed the cost of the floods would be much more.
‘‘A huge amount of damage caused by floods it isn’t insurable. For example, pasture damage, damage to lanes, to fences ... a lot of that is not insured and can’t be. So even when you get this figure, that’s not the cost.’’
Flood protection banks and natural riverbanks were also not insured.
Ms Hunt believed 2020 was one of the most challenging years for the sector recently because of a ‘‘terrible spring’’, February’s floods and the Covid-19 outbreak.
‘‘Despite all of that I think they are coping really well.
‘‘It was a big hit on farmers in the bottom line. They have to absorb, fix it and move on.’’
Southland Rural Support Trust co-ordinator Lindsay Wright said during the floods the trust contacted about 1100 farmers.
About 150 needed some kind of assistance, including welfare and farm advise, he said.
Gore Mayor Tracey Hicks was also surprised with the figures from ICNZ.
‘‘I would thought that would be much more than that, to be honest.’’
It was still early stages though, and the community was now really starting to feel the effect of the floods, combined with the Covid-19 outbreak.
He could not recall another time when two such major events came at once, but the resilience of the Southland community was ‘‘legendary’’ and was being proved to be true.
