2nd March, 2022

There’s no disguising the fact that storms Dudley, Eunice and Franklin made an impact last week, bringing high-speed winds, heavy rain, snow and sleet to the whole of the UK.

There were several flood alerts in place across the country, including rare danger to life warnings as well as power cuts which caused even more disruption – we even lost electricity for a while here at One Call HQ during a mid-afternoon blackout.

Based on recent events, it comes to no surprise that around £300 million worth of damage is caused by storms each year in the UK, as confirmed by the Met Office.*

Whilst most home insurance policies offer some level of storm and weather cover there are exceptions, so always check carefully to see exactly what is and isn’t covered.

Unfortunately, fences, hedges and gates aren’t typically covered against bad weather, and nor is accidental damage if water enters your home through a poorly maintained roof.

Insurance providers define a storm*  as a period of violent weather with wind speeds of at least 48 knots (55mph) - the equivalent of Storm Force 10 on the Beaufort Scale.

What’s more, rainfall must exceed at least 25mm per hour, and snow must be measured to a depth of at least one foot (30 cm) in 24 hours.

Whilst the weather is unpredictable and outside of your control – it’s your responsibility to maintain and protect your home to a reasonable standard to minimise risk. Unfortunately, if you don’t, your insurance provider may refuse to pay your claim.

For example, if your neighbour’s car is damaged by tiles falling from your roof you may be liable – but they will have to show that you are at fault. If your roof was already in a bad state of repair they may be able to claim against you. The legal liability element of your home insurance should cover this.

If your home has been damaged during a storm, you need to tell your insurance provider you want to make a claim as soon as possible.

You may wish to contact your home emergency provider to arrange temporary repairs to prevent damages worsening (assuming you have home emergency cover on your policy). If you’re an existing One Call Insurance customer, then you benefit from home emergency cover as standard - you can report a home emergency claim by calling 0203 738 7300.

When it is safe to, inspect your properly and make a list of all of the damage. Don’t forget to take photos and keep hold of anything you can as evidence to back up your claim.

If urgent repairs are needed or you have to find somewhere else to stay until your property is habitable again, tell your insurance provider as you may be covered for alternative accommodation. Remember to keep receipts to submit as you may be able to claim the money back.

Your belongings will be covered by contents insurance, including items in your freezer if they have been spoiled by a power cut.

Once again, remember to itemise and photograph everything you have to throw out.

If you are a One Call Insurance customer and you need to check your cover levels, then you can do so in your account on the customer portal.

Finally, stay safe and fingers crossed for warmer weather very soon!

* By clicking this link, you will be redirected to away from our website.

Please note that the above information has been gathered through secondary research. The information provided is not based on our opinion. You should seek further guidance and information before making an informed decision.