When a highly localised storm cell delivered more than 180mm of rain over Victoria’s Great Ocean Road in just four hours on 15 Jan. 2026, the immediate impact was unmissable: flooded roads, damaged vehicles and disrupted access along one of Australia’s most celebrated coastal corridors. But as is so often the case, the fuller picture of loss extends well beyond the visible debris and destruction shown by the media.
This unprecedented deluge occurred as bushfires in the same area were interrupting major roads and triggering warnings to stay away.
Hidden beneath the surface are the compound effects on local businesses, impacts that can persist long after the water recedes and the news cycle moves on to the next story.
For tourism-dependent towns like Wye River and Lorne, the sudden reduction in visitor numbers and the severe physical damage to accommodation providers, from flooded caravan parks to destroyed cabins, is likely to trigger a wave of Business Interruption (BI) claims. As cabins typically take 12–24 months to replace, the financial disruption can outlast the physical repair.
And the ripple effect is real. When tourist accommodation shuts, local cafés, pubs, restaurants, leisure operators and retail outlets all feel the strain of reduced footfall.
BI insurance exists to help such organisations withstand the financial shock of an unforeseen disruption.
From experience, Crawford knows that BI losses can also be complex when influenced by concurrent events or broader regional disruptions, such as bushfire-related drops in visitor numbers along the Great Ocean Road. These effects may influence revenue trends but won’t always trigger a BI response unless linked to insured damage.
How Crawford approaches BI claims: technical expertise combined with real‑world pragmatism
Josephine Princi, Crawford’s interim head of Forensic Accounting Services, says “These parks have experienced substantial damage and will require significant time to clean up. This will likely interrupt operations until at least Easter and possibly longer.” Josephine emphasises that clear causation is at the heart of any BI assessment; each claim must connect the loss of income back to the insured damage. Establishing this early allows for fair, accurate and timely outcomes.
Crawford’s BI specialists combine deep forensic accounting insight with practical, on-the-ground understanding of how businesses operate. This includes:
- Rapid, accurate evaluation of physical damage and operational impact: Our teams assess not just what was damaged, but how that damage affects income streams over time.
- Trend, seasonality and market-based analysis: BI assessments must consider what the business would have earned “but for the loss.” This requires reviewing historic turnover patterns, market conditions and the timing of the event.
- Detailed financial modelling: Crawford’s forensic accountants examine financial statements, past performance and business trends to prepare realistic BI loss assessments aligned with policy wording
- A people-first, collaborative approach: Whether supporting caravan park operators, local cafés, or leisure companies, Crawford focuses on gathering clear evidence, exploring alternative accommodation solutions and other mitigation options to reduce the loss duration wherever possible.
This balance of technical precision and empathetic recovery support is a hallmark of Crawford’s response.
Events like the Great Ocean Road deluge demonstrate the ongoing vulnerability of local economies to extreme weather, a trend reflected globally in rising BI exposures across sectors such as hospitality, gaming and manufacturing.
But they also highlight the importance of early expert involvement. As Josephine notes,
“involving our BI specialists from day one can help lead to clearer outcomes and better support for insureds navigating the uncertainty that can accompany a natural disaster.”
At Crawford, our purpose of restoring lives, businesses and communities shapes every claim we manage. In communities recovering from disaster, that purpose means bringing clarity to complex financial losses, reducing downtime, and helping businesses reopen their doors with confidence.
By combining technical excellence with local, human-centred support, Crawford helps communities not just rebuild — but return stronger.
