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Storm
Help and advice for your home
This is general advice about how to maintain your property. It's not a reflection of the cover we provide. If you are an existing customer looking to understand your policy, you can view your policy documents online.
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During stormy weather
The best guidance is to stay inside, with windows and doors closed and secure. There's nothing else you can do, except wait for it to blow over. You could keep the items on your emergency checklist close to hand.
Important: If there’s a risk of flooding, turn off both electricity and gas. For your safety, don't touch the electricity supply if you’re standing in water.
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After a storm
If your home has been damaged, you'll probably want to start clearing up. But if you're registering a claim, please make a note of the following – to help support your claim.
- Please don’t throw away any damaged items until we say so.
- Roll up your damaged carpets and store them in a shed or garage.
- Start to make a list and take photos of your damaged items.
You could leave windows and doors open to help dry your property, but please make sure that it’s safe to do so.
- Please don’t throw away any damaged items until we say so.
Before a storm
Keep up to date
Before a severe storm, the Met Office usually gives three or four days’ advance warning. For local information you can add your postcode to their live weather feed.
Get one step ahead
Give your home a check-over, from top to bottom.
- Roof – check for loose or broken tiles. These could be blown off and injure both people and property.
- Guttering – is it securely fitted? If the wind gets under it, it could completely detach itself. If it’s blocked, then it could cause water damage to your property.
- Windows and doors – check the seals around external doors, to guard against drafts blowing them open or rain seeping in.
- Fences and gates – make sure gates are firmly closed, and locked if possible. Check for any unstable fence posts that could give way in the wind.
- Gazebos, garden furniture and barbecues – try to secure them, or if possible, move into a shed or a garage as contents in the open are excluded for damage caused by a storm.
- Bins, large plant pots – try to move them to sheltered areas or away from your property, they may blow around into windows or into parked vehicles.
Top tip: Building and roofing companies may be busy after a storm so it could be beneficial for you to get any problems fixed ahead of bad weather – saving yourself hassle later.
Prepare the essentials
- Put some basics on standby: candles and matches, a torch (and spare batteries), tinned food, warm clothing and blankets.
- Prepare a list of local builders, roofers, heating engineers and electricians, plus your utility companies.
- Have important documents to hand, like your home insurance policy number. You could put our claims line number in your mobile to save time.