The weather ahead looks stormy. This is part of a trend – we are seeing much more extreme weather now – high winds, extreme rain, hail and snow, and heatwaves too*. The weather in the UK is predictably unpredictable!
Today (27 September 2023) the first storm of the season, Storm Agnes, is due to hit out shores bringing strong winds and heavy rain to much of the UK which could impact our customers – We want to help you to prepare to weather the storm by sharing advice from our trusted insurer partners.
Commercial Property:
Whether you are an individual retailer, office or large industrial unit the one thing you have in common is that you’ll want to protect your business premises at all costs. You will also need to consider the safety and well-being of your staff and customers.
AXA’s guide (see here) explains how to best weather-proof your business premises and provides tips and advice on how to keep your staff and customers safe during difficult weather conditions.
Home Insurance:
For Home Insurance, Ageas, provides practical advice on their website (see here). As you will see there are lots of top tips and advice to assist you.
In particular their Weather House provides a storm prevention checklist. It may not be appropriate to everyone’s home – but just one of the storm-preventing tips there could have a huge impact.
What’s covered, what’s not?
The question asked is when making a claim is “was there a storm?” Insurers usually define a storm as a period of violent weather with: –
• Hail of such intensity that it causes damage to hard surfaces or breaks glass
• Torrential rainfall at a rate of at least 25mm per hour (overflowing drains due to volume of water is considered as flood not storm)
• Snow to a depth of at least 12 inches (30cms) in 24 hours
• Wind speeds with gusts of at least 48 knots (55mph)
If your policy provides cover for Storm Damage it will provide protection for your losses, but you need to play your part by making sure your property is in a good state of repair before the storm. If your property is not well maintained, it could lead to a storm damage claim being declined.
Properties should be able to withstand damage by all but the most extreme weather conditions. To make a successful claim for storm damage you must make sure that: –
• The property is kept in a good state of repair
• Gutters and down pipes are in a good state of repair and not blocked with leaves or debris
• There are no loose or damaged tiles on the roof
• Flat roofs are in a good state of repair. Bear in mind that some areas like flat roofs, fascia boards and boundary walls are difficult to inspect. If you cannot check them yourself, you should use a relevant builder or property surveyor to do this for you
A common disappointment is a claim for storm damage to fences – they’re not covered by most standard Home policies. If cover does apply there must be damage to the structure of the home itself.
If you have any questions please get in touch – we are here to help.
*Source: Met Office
