Home Insurance- Prepare For Flood Risk

By Chris Rowlands

According to a report released by the Met office; the organisation who supply environmental and weather related services, there may be further localised flooding to come. After the brief interlude of the last week in which we finally received a touch of summer weather it is forecast that we will now see heavy precipitation for the rest of the week to come and indeed the remainder of august. This presents a risk of further flooding for those living in and around already inundated flood plains.

An estimated £3 billion worth in claims were received by house insurance companies following the earlier flooding. They will be keen to avoid further claims due to renewed flooding. With this in mind one high street bank, namely; Halifax has released a guide to help those at risk of further flooding to help ensure as little damage as possible.

Firstly and perhaps a matter of common sense, they suggest you place sandbags around entrances to your property to help hold back any ensuing barrage should a flood be deemed imminent. You should follow this with removing your electrical devices to the second floor of your home, or perhaps loft if you live in a bungalow. Please do not try to carry the freezer up the stairs single handedly as this could result in a different kind of claim. Joking aside, any precaution you can take to prevent possessions being damaged should be taken. Once this has been carried out, or perhaps first on reflection, switch off the mains supply if you can to prevent shortage or possible electrocution due to water ingress.

The company also suggest keeping home insurance documents close at hand especially in times of high risk so as to be able to respond as quickly as possible to a claim.

If you are thinking of purchasing a property it would be advisable to run a check before committing to purchase to find out flood plain status. If you find the property is built on a flood plain; as are 2.2 million homes in the UK, you should not see this as a major cause for concern as the weather we have received this summer is deemed a once in a century event. It is worth taking note of and checking if it will affect the cost of your home insurance premium however as some insurers have predicted increases. It has been speculated that some insurers may cease cover in these areas. Again this is only theory and should not be a cause for alarm.

The best advice I can give for those of you who may live in these area’s is to keep yourself updated via the Met office and look out for any flood warnings by checking local weather forecasts and listening to the radio where possible. Remember “attack is the best form of defence” in this case attack can be likened to preparation, with this is mind ensuring you are one step ahead and prepared for flooding you should greatly reduce your risks of damage to your possessions and home.

House insurance companies reportedly received over £3 billion worth of claims after the flooding of June/July.

Ensure your home insurance policy is up to date and close at hand in case of further flooding.